Hunt for Habitat

The highest demand licenses in South Dakota are those for bighorn sheep, elk, and certain deer and antelope licenses that are also highly coveted. Currently, GFP collaborates with private non-profit organizations to offer an elk license raffle and a bighorn sheep license auction.

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, 2023 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. We've put together a tutorial video to guide you through the new process.

Log In to Purchase Tickets

Raffle

There are two options for 2023 with four total packages available.

Option One: 

• One any elk tag
• One any deer tag
• One any antelope tag

Winners of the package 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 2023 winner may select to hunt antelope in 2023 and deer and elk in 2024.  The winner could hunt with any weapon that is legal and valid for the time period and location.

There will be three packages raffled off.  No more than one set of Option One licenses can be issued to a nonresident in a year.

Option Two:

• One Custer State Park Trophy Buffalo tag

Winners of the package will be eligible to select between two years for when they wish the tag to be valid.

The Option Two package could be won by either a resident or nonresident and is not dependent on whether a nonresident wins one of the Option One packages.

Where the Money Goes

The Hunt for Habitat has raised over 1.2 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 2022, the Hunt for Habitat raffle raised a total of $194,580. 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.