The prairie elk hunting season is open from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset each day of the season. For the prairie season, no more than two hundred "any elk" licenses and no more than four hundred "antlerless elk" licenses may be issued for units west of the Missouri River, and the number of licenses for units east of the Missouri River is unlimited. The prairie elk hunting seasons are as follows:

1. (1) Unit PRE-09A is open from September first through December thirty-first;
2. (2) Unit PRE-11A is open from July fifteenth through August thirty-first;
3. (3) Unit PRE-11B is open from September first through December thirty-first;
4. (4) Unit PRE-11C is open from October sixteenth through November thirtieth;
5. (5) Unit PRE-11D is open from September first through October thirty-first;
6. (6) Unit PRE-11E is open from November first through December thirty-first;
7. (7) Unit PRE-11F is open from January first through the last day of February;
8. (8) Unit PRE-15A is open from September first through December thirty-first;
9. (9) Unit PRE-15B is open from December first through January thirty-first;
10. (10) Unit PRE-27A is open from September first through December thirty-first;
11. (11) Unit PRE-35A is open from September first through December thirty-first;
12. (12) Unit PRE-35B is open from September first through December thirty-first;
13. (13) Unit PRE-35C is open from October first through November fifteenth;
14. (14) Unit PRE-35D is open from November sixteenth through December thirty-first;
15. (15) Unit PRE-35E is open from October first through November fifteenth;
16. (16) Unit PRE-35F is open from November sixteenth through December thirty-first;
17. (17) Unit PRE-49A is open from September first through December thirty-first;
18. (18) Unit PRE-WRA is open from September first through December thirty-first; and

19. (19) Unit PRE-ERA is open from September first through December thirty-first.

    Cross-References:

    Combination licenses -- Issuance, SDCL 41-6-10.1.

    Resident big game license -- Privileges and fee -- Violation as misdemeanor, SDCL 41-6-19.

    Hunting license fees, § 41:06:02:03.

Source: 27 SDR 111, effective May 8, 2001; 42 SDR 146, effective May 5, 2016 ; 44 SDR 184, effective June 25, 2018 ; 46 SDR 130, effective May 28, 2020 ; 48 SDR 115, effective May 24, 2022; 50 SDR 129, effective May 15, 2024; 51 SDR 123, effective May 26, 2025; 52 SDR 107, effective May 25, 2026 .

General Authority: SDCL 41-2-18 (1)(2)(17).

Law Implemented: SDCL 41-2-18 (1)(2)(17), 41-6-19.2 , 41-6-21 .

Prior versions effective: 2025-05-26, 2024-05-15, 2022-05-24, 2020-05-28, 2018-06-25, 2016-05-05, 2001-05-08.