Is it legal to hunt prairie dogs in South Dakota?

Prairie dog hunting is allowed year-round in South Dakota, with no restrictions on hours or bag limits.

Residents and non-residents need a small game and predator/varmint license to hunt prairie dogs, and they can be hunted in national grassland areas in western South Dakota that are managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Native American tribal land also offers plentiful opportunities to hunt them, though a state license is not applicable.

Prairie dogs, which are prevalent in the western two-thirds of the state, are closely related to squirrels and chipmunks. They are commonly between 14 to 17 inches in length. 

Because prairie dogs burrow into land and leave large mounds with a big hole in the middle, some private property owners consider the animal a pest and let people hunt them. It’s a misdemeanor in South Dakota to hunt on a private property owner’s land without their permission.