Hunt for Habitat

The Hunt for Habitat raffle opportunity began in 2019 as a component of Governor Noem's Second Century Initiative. The raffle has raised over 1.4 million dollars for habitat since its beginning.

New for 2024, the GFP Commission modified the licenses offered through the Hunt for Habitat raffle package. Licenses available through the raffle include:

   1  Custer State Park Trophy Bison   
   1  Any Deer
   1  Any Deer-Guided Hunt with Dakota Trophy
   3 Any Deer and Elk Package

The raffle licenses allow residents and nonresidents the opportunity to purchase raffle chances online without restriction on the number that can be purchased.

Tickets are $10 for residents and $20 for nonresidents.

Tickets must be purchased online by July 11, 2024 at 8 a.m. CDT. Winners will be notified in the days following the close of the raffle.

Hunt for Habitat tickets are available for sale in the Go Outdoors South Dakota system.

Log In to Purchase Tickets

Hunt Details

Winners of the Custer State Park Trophy Buffalo, Two Any Deer, and Any Deer/Any Elk packages will be eligible to select between two years for when they wish the tag to be valid and may hunt any open season and location for when the license is valid.  

Example: A 2024 winner may select to hunt antelope in 2024 and deer and elk in 2025.  The winner could hunt with any weapon that is legal and valid for the time period and location.

About The Guided Hunt

The winner of the Any Deer Guided Hunt with Dakota Trophy will be eligible to hunt in 2024.

The winner would arrive on Friday (Nov. 15), and hunt Saturday - Tuesday and depart on Wednesday. The winnner may harvest a mule deer or whitetail deer. This hunt is provided by the South Dakota Landowner and Outfitter Alliance through Dakota Trophy. 

Dakota Trophy is located near Wasta, SD and features 140,000 acres along the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche Rivers. For more information please visit the outfitter's website: https://dakotatrophyadventures.com/

Where the Money Goes

The Hunt for Habitat has raised over 1.6 million dollars for habitat since 2019! This includes grassland management, tree and shrub plantings, high diversity native grass plantings, and pollinator habitat on GPAs across the state.

In 2023, the Hunt for Habitat raffle raised a total of $245,840. This money is being paired with Habitat Stamp funds to complete habitat developments on over 70 Game Production Areas (GPA) across South Dakota. Projects include over 1,600 acres of high diversity native grass and pollinator plantings, 28 acres of tree and shrub plantings, and management practices to improve grassland and forest habitats on over 2,000 acres.

Through SB 153, the Legislature and the Governor approved to authorize the Game, Fish and Parks Commission the ability to provide up to ten big game licenses through a raffle draw system with all proceeds going towards habitat.