Residents

Must have one of the following:

• Combination license
• Small Game
• Youth Small Game
• 1-Day Small Game

In addition, residents must also have both:

• South Dakota Migratory Bird Certification, and
• Federal Waterfowl Stamp (not required for those under age 16)

Nonresidents

• Licenses for most seasons are limited and issued by lottery drawing. Application deadline is July 10.
• Licenses of limited-day duration require a start date for hunt before a license will be issued; start date may be changed through GFP License Office prior to the start date; applicants without a start date will have license held if successful in drawing, and may provide start date at any time before season, but please allow ample time for mailing license
• See season application information for details.
• Licenses for Unit 00B cover most of the state and are valid for 10 consecutive days
• Licenses for Unit 00A are for the southeastern corner of the state are valid for the length of the waterfowl seasons in that area
• Licenses for Unit 11A are for Bennett County in the southwest and are valid for 10 consecutive days
• Licenses for Unit 00Y in the northeast part of the state are valid for 3 consecutive days
• Licenses for Unit 00X in the central part of the state are valid on private land only for 3 consecutive days
• Early Fall Canada Goose licenses are valid for the length of that season in those counties open to nonresident hunting
• Spring Light Goose licenses are valid for the length of that season
• South Dakota Migratory Bird Certification is included in waterfowl license
• Federal Waterfowl Stamp required (not required for those under age 16)
• Youth age 12 (or will turn 12 by Dec. 31) may hunt and have same license requirements as adults

Includes brants.

Unit 1

Daily Limit:

8 from September 5 - December 22

Possession Limit: 

Three times the daily limit, taken according to daily limit. The counties of Aurora, Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Butte, Campbell, Clark, Codington, Corson, Davison, Day, Deuel, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Haakon, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Harding, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, McCook, McPherson, Marshall, Meade, Mellette, Moody, Miner, Oglala Lakota, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Todd, Turner, Walworth and Ziebach, that portion of Dewey County north of Bureau of Indian Affairs Road 8, Bureau of Indian Affairs Road 9, and the section of U.S. Highway 212 east of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Road 8 junction, that portion of Potter County east of U.S. Highway 83, that portion of Sully County east of U.S. Highway 83, portions of Hyde, Buffalo, Brule, Charles Mix, and Bon Homme counties north and east of a line beginning at the Hughes-Hyde county line on State Highway 34, east to Lees Boulevard, southeast to the State Highway 34, east 7 miles to 350th Avenue, south to Interstate 90 on 350th Avenue, south and east on State Highway 50 to Geddes, east on 285th Street to U.S. Highway 281, north on U.S. Highway 281 to the Charles Mix-Douglas county boundary, that portion of Bon Homme County north of State Highway 50, those portions of Yankton and Clay counties north of County Highway 585 (306th Street) to U.S. Highway 81, then north on U.S. Highway 81 to 303rd Street, then east on 303rd Street to 444th Avenue, then south on 444th Avenue to 305th Street, then east on Bluff Road (305th Street) to County Highway 19, south to State Highway 50 and east to the Clay/Union county line, and that portion of Perkins county west of State Highway 75 and south of State Highway 20, that portion of Lincoln County west of State Highway 17 and south of County Highway 116 (Klondike Road), and that portion of Minnehaha County north of a line beginning at the junction of the South Dakota-Minnesota state line and County Highway 122 (254th Street) west to its junction with County Highway 149 (464th Avenue), that portion west of County Highway 149 (464th Avenue) to Hartford, that portion west of County Highway 151 (463rd Avenue) to State Highway 42, that portion south of State Highway 42 to State Highway 17, and the portion west of State Highway 17 to the Minnehaha-Lincoln county boundary.

From Sept. 5-30 nonresidents may not hunt in Beadle, Brookings, Hanson, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Turner and Union counties. 

Unit 2

Daily Limit:

4

Possession Limit: 

Three times the daily limit, taken according to the daily limit. Those areas not included in Unit 1 or Unit 3.

Unit 3

Daily Limit:

4

Possession Limit: 

Three times the daily limit, taken according to the daily limit. Those areas not included in Unit 1 or Unit 3.

Resident Only Bennett County Canada Goose Unit: 

Availble with special permit only. 

Daily Limit:

3

Individual License Harvest Limit: 

Applicants may have a maximum of 5 licenses. See Application Deadline Rules on application for more information.

Daily Limit:

3

Possession Limit: 

Three times the daily limit

Includes snows, blues, Ross' and all other geese except Canada, brants and white-fronted geese.

Daily Limit:

50

Possession Limit: 

Unlimited

Duck Hunting Zones

High Plains Zone

Boundary = South Dakota west of a line beginning at the North Dakota state line and extending south along US 83 to US 14; east on US 14 to the town of Blunt; south on the Blunt-Canning Road to SD 34; east and south on SD 34 to SD 50 at Lee's Corner; south on SD 50 to I-90; east on I-90 to SD 50; south on SD 50 to SD 44; west on SD 44 across the Platte-Winner Bridge to SD 47; south on SD 47 to US 18; east on US 18 to SD 47; south on SD 47 to the Nebraska state line.

Low Plains - North Zone

Boundary = South Dakota east of the boundary definition for High Plains, and north of a line beginning at the junction of US 83 and US 212; then east on US 212 to the Minnesota state line.

Low Plains - Middle Zone

Boundary = South Dakota east of the boundary definition for High Plains, and south of a line beginning at the junction of US 83 and US 212; then east on US 212 to the Minnesota state line; and north of a line beginning at the junction of SD 47 and the Nebraska state line; then north on SD 47 to SD 44; then east on SD 44 to SD 50; then south on SD 50 to CFAS 6198 (Geddes Highway) at Geddes; then east on Geddes Hwy to US 281; then south on US 281 to SD 50; then east on SD 50 to I-29; then south on I-29 to the Iowa state line.

Low Plains - South Zone

Boundary = South Dakota within a line beginning at the junction of SD 47 and the Nebraska border; then north on SD 47 to SD 44; then east on SD 44 to SD 50; then south on SD 50 to CFAS 6198 (Geddes Highway) at Geddes; then east on Geddes Hwy to US 281; then south on US 281 to SD 50; then east on SD 50 to I-29; then south on I-29 to the Iowa state line.