Frequently Asked Questions
What is included with the UGUIDE package? The basic package includes 4-nights lodging, 3-days hunting, self-guided with landowner tour of property and maps. Lodging has full kitchen so you can cook your own meals. See the South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Rates page for more details and specifics.
We don't want to hunt pen raised birds. Are UGUIDE hunts all authentic native wild? Yes. UGUIDE properties are not preserves nor do they release any birds. Some owners may release hens in the spring to bolster nesting but that is rare and most landowners invest in habitat vs. releasing hens in the spring to gain nesting success. All rooster pheasants are native wild ringneck pheasants at UGUIDE pheasant hunting camps.
What is the 4-Tier Pricing system all about? More info about UGUIDE 4-Tier pricing here
What are lodging accommodation's like? Basic UGUIDE lodging accommodation's include: at least 1 full size bathroom with shower, TV with satellite service, full kitchen so you can cook all meals on site if needed, individual beds per lodging capacity, dining and reclining chairs per lodging capacity, a place to clean and freeze birds, and a place to get dogs out of weather/elements. Lodging buildings are either: a renovated pole shed, trailer house, or farmhouse. Most lodging is onsite but some maybe a few miles from the hunting property. See the South Dakota Pheasant Hunts page for more details on each pheasant camp
What does a license cost, what are limits and when can you hunt? A non-resident small adult game license costs $121.00 (+ $25 Habitat Stamp) and youth age 12-15 with hunter safety costs $10. Hunters age 16-17 are not required to have hunter safety and license is $10. You can buy them online. This includes 2 - 5/day hunting periods. Daily bag limit is 3 roosters with 15 in possession if you hunt all 5 days on license. If you only hunt 3 days possession would be 9 roosters. Hunting is from noon to sunset the first week and then 10am to sunset thereafter. Season generally runs from 3rd weekend in Oct. thru the last weekend in January. Some camps have huntable sharp-tail populations and these you can hunt from sunrise to sunset and daily limit is 3 birds with 15 in possession. See our South Dakota Pheasant Hunting License page for more details. More information on SD GF&P site on Non-Resident License Costs.
We are interested in getting our kids involved in South Dakota Pheasant Hunting. How do we get more information? Please see the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks page which has more detailed information about Youth, Mentored and Apprentice Hunts.
We are interested in South Dakota Waterfowl Hunting. How do we get more information? Please see the UGUIDE page which has more detailed information about South Dakota Waterfowl Hunting at no extra charge at one of our UGUIDE Pheasant Camps.
I see your late season hunts are cheaper. Is that because hunting is poorer? Is hunting any good later on in season? The rates are generally cheaper each week that the season progresses because demand generally goes down each week, not because the quality of hunting declines. It is possible to have better hunting the last week of season rather than the season opener in some cases. Generally speaking the challenges of going early in the season are: warm weather which affects dogs and hunters, a lot of unharvested row crops in fields making it difficult to access populations of birds, birds plummage can be molted yet making roosters difficult to identify, and just a lot of standing cover in general. During late season (Thanksgiving or later) these are not issues any longer. The harvest is generally complete across state concentrating birds in remaining cover. Temperatures are cooler and more ideal for working dogs. Birds will generally be wilder due to previous hunting pressure. The birds plummage is generally complete and birds are fully colored. You do run the risk of experiencing inclement weather the later in season you go.
What is the smallest group size you will take? Group size minimums are either 6, 8, 10 or 13 depending on the pheasant camp and week you choose. See Availability page for details on minimums and rates. Generally, for a typical UGUIDE property the minimum group size is 6. The reasons for the minimum are that UGUIDE blocks out a week of time on the calendar when you book a hunt. For that week we only let only one group on that property that week and we only let them hunt for 3 days out of 7 so we rest it for 4 prior to the groups arrival. For these reasons we need to generate a certain fee for that week and that is where the minimums come in.
Can you come with less than minimum group size and just pay the minimum rate? Yes. If you have 3 hunters you can come with 3 and just split the rate for 4 between the 3.
Are there discounts for larger groups? Yes. When you have 6 hunters or more in a group you are eligible for UGUIDE discounts. See more info on those discounts on the rates or specials pages. Groups of 4-5 are eligible for 1 FREE youth and 1 Jr. at 50% off. See the South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Rates page for more details and specifics.
What if we don't have any dogs? If you don't have dogs your experience could be impacted dramatically. We encourage you to seek fellow hunters with ample dog resources or seek a guided hunting outfitter that provides the dogs needed.
Where are these Pheasant Camp's located in the state of South Dakota? Click here to view MAP and then you can click on each location to bring you to details about that Pheasant Camp.
