Rabbit Hunting Season in South Dakota: Dates, Limits, and Rules for Cottontails and Jackrabbits

Rabbit hunting season in South Dakota runs for seven full months, longer than almost any other season in the state, yet most hunters who travel here only think about pheasants. That leaves cottontail ground wide open from fall through early spring. You can hunt fence lines, shelterbelts, and creek bottoms long after the roosters are gone.

The rules are simple, but a few details trip people up, especially around jackrabbits, air guns, and public land. This article covers the season dates, species, limits, licenses, legal methods, shooting hours, and land rules you need to hunt rabbits legally in South Dakota. Always check the current South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) handbook before you go, because regulations change annually.

Rabbit Hunting Season Dates in South Dakota

Cottontail season is one of the longest in the state. According to the South Dakota administrative rules, the cottontail rabbit hunting season is open statewide, each day from September first through March thirty-first. For the 2026-27 season, the handbook lists a statewide window of September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.

That means the season is already open as of October 11, 2026, and it stays open through the pheasant, deer, and waterfowl seasons. Early fall hunts often mean thick cover and warm afternoons. Late winter hunts after fresh snow make tracking easier.

Season Year	Opens	Closes	Area
2025-26	September 1, 2025	March 31, 2026	Statewide
2026-27	September 1, 2026	March 31, 2027	Statewide

Important Note: A few third-party sites list shorter windows, such as ending in February, or different limits. The administrative rule and GFP’s own handbook are the authority, so trust those over summaries.

Which Rabbit and Hare Species You Can Hunt in South Dakota

The main target is the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). Cottontails are found throughout South Dakota and thrive in brushy growth, shelterbelts, and forest edges, typically avoiding large open areas. GFP also notes that mountain cottontail and desert cottontail have been found in western parts of the state, and they fall under the same cottontail rules.

Jackrabbits are the other option. They are technically hares, and they are handled differently from cottontails. The Predator/Varmint license covers jackrabbit, and the state’s rules transferred the old jackrabbit season chapter elsewhere, so you will not find a separate rabbit-style season for them in the cottontail chapter.

In practice, jackrabbits are found in open prairie country, along ditches and grassy field edges, as they favor more open country but still seek out cover along ditches and grassy field edges. Plan on a different kind of hunt: longer shots and more walking.

Pro Tip: GFP warns that cottontails are known to carry tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, both transmittable to humans. Wear gloves when field dressing, and cook the meat thoroughly.

Rabbit Hunting Bag and Possession Limits in South Dakota

The cottontail limit is generous. The administrative rule states that a person may not take more than ten cottontail rabbits in any one day or possess more than 30 cottontail rabbits. GFP’s own cottontail page lists the same 30-rabbit possession limit.

A few other sites list different numbers, such as 8 or 20 per day. Those figures conflict with the rule text, so ignore them and stick to 10 per day and 30 in possession. If you hunt for several days in a row, the possession limit is what stops you from piling up more than three days’ worth.

• Daily limit: 10 cottontails
• Possession limit: 30 cottontails
• Season: September 1 to March 31, statewide

You can also give away game you have legally taken. GFP’s gifting rule says the game must have been lawfully taken and the number gifted cannot put the recipient over any limit.

Licenses and Permits Required to Hunt Rabbits in South Dakota

Most hunters need a small game license. GFP says that residents can hunt cottontails with a Small Game, any Combination license, Youth Small Game, Mentored Small Game or 1-Day Small Game license. The Resident Small Game license is for residents age 18 or older and covers pheasant, grouse, partridge, quail, cottontail rabbit, and tree squirrel.

Fees change, so check GFP’s license types and costs page before you buy. As of that page, GFP lists a 1-day resident small game license at $15 and youth and mentored youth small game licenses at $5 each. Youth under 18 do not need a license for predator and varmint species such as jackrabbit.

Nonresidents need a nonresident small game license. It is valid for two 5-day hunting periods, and you must pick your start dates before it is issued. Adults 18 and older also need a Habitat Stamp, according to a $10 resident and $25 nonresident fee listed in our South Dakota hunting laws overview.

For a full breakdown of fees and hunter education rules, see our guide to hunting license requirements in South Dakota and the broader South Dakota hunting laws page. GFP also says every hunter must carry their small game, fishing or trapping license while hunting, and a digital copy works instead of paper.

Legal Hunting Methods and Weapons for Rabbits in South Dakota

Shotguns are the standard tool for flushing cottontails from cover. Small-caliber rifles and handguns work for open-country jackrabbits. Beagles are also legal and popular: some dedicated hunters use specially trained dogs such as beagles to hunt cottontails.

Air guns are a specific exception to the general ban. GFP’s general hunting laws allow them for cottontail and jackrabbit, with these limits:

• Air guns must be factory-rated to produce a muzzle velocity of at least 600 feet per second
• Only hunting pellets are permitted
• The hunter must hold a valid license for the species

Night hunting has its own rules. GFP says that from January 1 to August 31, a person may use night vision equipment, but not artificial light, to take jackrabbits on qualifying public land, using a shotgun or a firearm with a bullet diameter under .312 inches. That window falls outside the cottontail season, and it applies to jackrabbits, not cottontails.

Common Mistake: Using a spotlight on rabbits. Artificial light is not allowed for this kind of hunting, even during the windows where night vision gear is permitted.

Shooting Hours and Sunday Hunting Rules for Rabbit Hunting in South Dakota

Cottontail shooting hours are simple. The rule and GFP both give sunrise to sunset, and the administrative rule says the season is open from sunrise to sunset, each day. Unlike pheasant, there is no late 10 a.m. start for rabbits.

Because the season is open “each day,” Sunday hunting for cottontails is allowed. South Dakota does not carry a Sunday ban on rabbit hunting, which is a real advantage if you work weekdays. Rabbits are most active in early morning and late afternoon, so those are the hours that pay off, a pattern GFP describes when it says cottontails feed in the early morning and at sunset.

If you also chase upland birds on the same trip, our pheasant hunting season guide covers the later opening hours for roosters.

Hunter Orange and Public Land Rules for Rabbit Hunting in South Dakota

South Dakota does not legally require hunter orange for small game, but GFP recommends it. On its pheasant page, GFP says it is advisable that everyone wear at least one exterior garment of fluorescent orange. The same sensible rule applies to rabbit hunting, especially when you share cover with pheasant hunters.

Public land is plentiful. South Dakota presents 5 million acres of huntable ground, including Game Production Areas and Waterfowl Production Areas. The Missouri River corridor is a good place to start, since public lands near the Missouri River are excellent for rabbit hunting.

Public ground often comes with extra rules, including non-toxic shot requirements on certain areas, posted season dates, and method limits. Check the area’s posting and the GFP handbook before you go. Tribal trust land is also separate, and a state license does not automatically authorize hunting there.

For private land, get permission first. A paid license is not an access pass. If you plan to carry a rifle for jackrabbits or coyotes, our coyote hunting laws article explains the related predator rules.

Key Insight: Rabbit season overlaps with the busiest pheasant and deer weeks. Wearing orange costs nothing and makes you visible to other hunters in the same field. Check our deer hunting season page so you know when firearm deer hunters will be out.