Hunt

Photo © Dean Pearson

Coyote

Coyotes are located throughout the state in almost every habitat. Coyotes tend to be secretive and are most active from dusk to dawn. They often rest during the day and only move when disturbed. They remain active throughout the winter.

The western two-thirds of South Dakota is where most of the hunting occurs. These areas offer river drainages and larger private holdings - terrain well-suited for coyote hunting. There are many large tracts of public land open to hunting in the western half South Dakota.

Restrictions:

There are no restrictions on caliber of rifles and/or handguns.

National Grasslands in western South Dakota, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, are popular hunting destinations. If this is your destination, please contact the grassland offices for information on travel restrictions.

Native American Tribal lands also host coyote hunting opportunities. State licenses are not valid on tribal trust lands, unless authorized by the tribal council. Individual tribes may require a tribal permit to hunt on their lands. Contact the individual tribes to find out what licenses they offer and the cost. Not all the land inside the South Dakota reservations is under tribal jurisdiction. If you hunt on private land deeded to non-Indians you must have a state license.

Custer State Park Free Access Permits

  • The Custer State Park coyote hunting season is open December 26, 2017 - March 31, 2018.
  • Free access permits are available to residents only.
  • A person must have purchased a resident predator/varmint license, resident furbearer license, or any resident hunting license before applying for the Access Permit. 
  • No hunting allowed within 200 yards of any public access road or building in Custer State Park.
  • Free access permits are available to residents only and there is no limit of access permits this season. 
  • A person must have their applicable License and Access Permit with them while hunting.
  • Access Permit holders are responsible for leaving the property they are hunting in the same condition as they found it. 
  • A person’s Access Permit will be revoked if the hunter is found to be in violation of any of these rules. 
  • The permit may be obtained anytime throughout the season and must be printed off at home. Be sure to read the instructions during the application process to learn how to print your Custer State Park Coyote Access Permit at home.

Daily Limit: 

Unrestricted

Shooting Hours: 

Unrestricted