South Dakota Antelope

The majority of the antelope are found in the western portion of the state along the Montana and Wyoming borders. This western rangeland of the state holds the highest densities of antelope, but herds can also be found in most counties located to the west of the Missouri River as well as some counties located directly east along the river. The state does not produce many Boone and Crockett antelope, but the state record is 90” and 93 bucks have been listed in the record book. In the recent past, the state has typically entered one B&C buck into the record book each year.

To be eligible in the draw for most of the top firearm antelope hunts, hunters need to have accumulated 2 or more preference points. Archery antelope licenses were available through the April draw period to be valid statewide. South Dakota is a great state for antelope hunting, and the prospects for the future look promising. If you are considering hunting antelope in South Dakota, it is advisable to purchase preference points at the very least.

Non-resident archery antelope hunting participation is now part of a draw with a new set quota of 450 licenses being allocated in the archery-only April draw. These statewide archery licenses are valid on public and private lands. Non-resident private land-only archery antelope licenses are still available for purchase throughout the season, beginning in June.

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