South Dakota wildlife officials are tightening deer hunting in the southeast while keeping strict limits on pronghorn as populations recover unevenly across the state.
At a meeting in Madison, the Game, Fish and Parks Commission reviewed new data showing the state’s pronghorn population has increased about 12% since 2024, rising to roughly 30,000 animals. Biologists estimate around 36,000 pronghorn will be on the landscape at the start of the hunting season, still well below the long‑term goal of about 67,000.
Officials credited the rebound to restrictions put in place in 2022, including buck‑only hunting and a halt to doe harvests. Those limits will remain, along with the continued closure of the youth pronghorn season, as the population is expected to grow 5–6% annually. Growth has been strongest in Fall River and Custer counties, though low fawn survival—linked to drought and predation—continues to slow recovery.
At the same time, commissioners voted to reduce deer hunting pressure in southeastern South Dakota, closing apprentice, mentored, and youth deer seasons in nine counties. The move targets declining deer numbers blamed on severe weather, flooding, drought, and disease.
Officials say the changes are intended to protect doe populations and speed recovery, with deer numbers in the region potentially rebounding by as much as 50% within two years.
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