Deer, ring-necked pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, and gray partridge may be hunted on Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in accordance with state Sand Lake Refuge specific regulations. A Sand Lake Refuge deer license, issued by the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, is required to hunt deer on the refuge with a rifle or muzzleloader. There is now a Youth Deer Hunting season on parts of Sand Lake NWR as of 2023, see details below. Hunters with a state-issued archery license may hunt deer on the refuge during the refuge archery season, which his split into two periods to avoid overlap with gun hunters. The Refuge made some adjustments to the road closures in 2022, which are detailed below. Hunters are allowed to drive on all refuge roads during designated times to retrieve harvested deer. The refuge also offers a late-season upland game bird hunt that begins after the deer rifle seasons close. This December season has become a traditional “Second Opening Day” for many hunters who are seeking the challenge of hunting fresh birds in the thousands of acres of heavy cover on the refuge.
Sand Lake Hunting & Fishing Regulations
ALL Refuge gates and roads north of SD HWY 10 will be closed starting September 1st each year. Traditional deer retrieval regulations will still be in effect and can be found in the Sand Lake Hunting and Fishing Regulations.
ALL Refuge gates and roads south of SD HWY 10 will remain open to all Refuge visitors and user groups, including bowhunters until the beginning of the Refuge gun seasons, RFD-SL1 etc.
*New as of 2024* – Two enclosed bale blinds were donated to the Refuge. The blinds are for all Refuge deer hunters to use, but were donated in hopes to increase participation by Youth during the Refuge's 2-week Youth Deer season in September. Both blinds will be placed on the east side of the Refuge, one near 106th St and the other near 108th St. The blinds cannot be reserved and can be used on a first come-first serve basis. A map is posted with exact locations.
2025
Deer
Resident Archery: September 1st, 2025- November 7th, 2025 and December 8th, 2025 - January 1st, 2026
Non-Resident Archery: October 1st, 2025- November 7th, 2025 and December 8th, 2025 - January 1st, 2026
Youth Deer: September 13, 2025 - September 30, 2025 YOD-13, Refuge is only open north of SD Hwy 10 for this season
Muzzleloader ONLY November 8, 2025 - November 12, 2025 RFD-SL1
Rifle November 13, 2025 - November 17, 2025 RFD-SL2
Rifle November 18, 2025 - November 23, 2025 RFD-SL3 (No tags issued in 2025 or 2026 seasons for RFD-SL3)
Muzzleloader ONLY November 24, 2025 – November 30, 2025 RFD-SL4
Rifle December 1, 2025 - December 7, 2025 RFD-SL5
Upland Game
Ring-necked Pheasant December 8, 2025 - January 31, 2026
Sharp-tailed Grouse, Grey Partridge December 8, 2025 – January 31, 2026
2025 UPLAND GAME HABITAT CONDITIONS:
UPDATE 12/1/2025: The Refuge has approximately 10-12" of snow on the ground and no sign of any melting temperatures prior to the Refuge Pheasant opener on 12/9/2025. All upland habitat is snow filled, and in most cases, not holding birds. Pheasants are most likely to be found in the vast cattail marshes on the Refuge. Hunters thinking about hunting Sand Lake this season should plan on hunting cattails.
Someone hunting land outside the Refuge, this past weekend, described his hunt as "treacherous" due to the amount of snow on the ground.
Water levels on the Refuge going into winter were very low; thus, most cattails should be dry or in very little water. The water did not freeze until the last week of November, so extreme caution should be taken when walking on the ice. The James River flows through Sand Lake NWR. River ice is likely to be thin, so use caution.
Going into the recent snowfall, Refuge pheasant numbers appeared good. Sand Lake staff believe the Refuge pheasant population to be the best it's been since the winter of 2022-2023 decimated it. However, it is still far from the great numbers seen on the Refuge just 15-20 years ago.
Those planning on hunting Sand Lake NWR, this season, should be aware that some adjacent roads may be impassable due to the lack of snow removal. When parking on roads adjacent to the Refuge, make sure to leave enough room for other vehicles to get around, as some Refuge parking lots may not be accessible.
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2026
Deer
Resident Archery: September 1st, 2026- November 13th, 2026 and December 14th, 2026 - January 1st, 2027
Non-Resident Archery: October 1st, 2026- November 13th, 2026 and December 14th, 2026 - January 1st, 2027
Youth Deer: September 12, 2026 - September 30, 2026 YOD-13, Refuge is only open north of SD Hwy 10 for this season
Muzzleloader ONLY November 14, 2026 - November 18, 2026 RFD-SL1
Rifle November 19, 2026 - November 23, 2026 RFD-SL2
Rifle November 24, 2026 - November 29, 2026 RFD-SL3 (No tags issued in 2025 or 2026 seasons for RFD-SL3)
Muzzleloader ONLY November 30, 2026 – December 6, 2026 RFD-SL4
Rifle December 7, 2026 - December 13, 2026 RFD-SL5
Upland Game
Ring-necked Pheasant December 14, 2026 - January 31, 2027
Sharp-tailed Grouse, Grey Partridge December 14, 2026 – January 31, 2027
2026 UPLAND GAME HABITAT CONDITIONS:
To be Updated in 2026
