Pheasant, Duck, Dove and Prairie Dog Hunting
Hunting Dogs
Can I bring my own dog to hunt with me?
Yes! We encourage you to bring your best canine friend. In fact, hunting with your own dog enhances the wonderful experience of chasing pheasants through our fields. Most of our guides use labs, but we are always excited to meet the amazing dogs our hunters bring.
What accommodations are available for my dog?
We will make your dog feel right at home, whether he or she prefers a kennel or sleeping by your side. Our kennels have heated floors and offer a smaller indoor space complete with a floor mat and an automatic watering system. A doggy door connects the kennels to a larger outdoor space, and both ends of the kennel have doors for easy access.
If your hunting buddy is used to sleeping indoors, he or she is welcome to share your room. The Lodge is tucked into a slight hill, so the end rooms on the lower level have doors that lead directly outside. These rooms are reserved for hunters who bring four-legged friends so that you can easily take them in or out.
Q. How many friends do I need to bring to make a group?
A. We accept groups of all sizes - from one to forty. Hunting is more challenging with only one or two members if there aren't enough folks to function as walkers, flankers and blockers, but sometimes a small group can be beneficial. For example, if you have a new dog freshly trained, you might like to focus on their skills without being distracted by more dogs and more guns in the field.
Although the Lodge can accommodate 40 occupants, only 20 guns are allowed in a group while hunting. That means the guides, who are not armed, do not count towards that limit. If your group exceeds 20 people, we will divide you into two groups and rotate members so everyone has an opportunity to hunt together over the duration of your trip.
Hunting Groups
How many friends do I need to bring to make a group?
We accept groups ranging from one to forty people – and every size in between. Of course, hunting is more challenging with only one or two members if there aren’t enough folks to function as walkers, flankers, and blockers. For interested parties, we will sometimes be able to combine two small groups together to make for an easier hunt – but we’ll never combine groups without asking you first.
There are also some instances in which small groups can be beneficial. For instance, if you have a new dog who’s freshly trained, you might want to hunt with a smaller group in order to focus on your dog’s skills without them being distracted by more dogs and more guns in the field.
Although the Lodge can accommodate 40 occupants, only 20 guns are allowed in a group while hunting. That means that our guides, who are not armed, do not count toward that limit. If your group exceeds 20 people, we will divide you into two groups, mixing up the groups each day so that everyone has an opportunity to hunt together over the course of your visit.
Can I bring my wife or a non-hunting friend?
Yes! We welcome hunters to bring company on this fabulous adventure. Even if your wife or friend doesn’t hunt, they are welcome to walk with you during the hunt. If they’re seeking a more relaxing experience, we have several nearby cultural opportunities, including art and museums.
The Lodge also has a salon with available masseuses if your companion would like to book a massage. We would be happy to set up other non-hunting excursions as well, including horseback riding, antique shopping, and more. After you book your trip, reach out to us with some of your companion’s interests or favorite activities, and we’ll design an experience tailored to their personal tastes. Hint: Sounds like a great Christmas gift!
Can I bring my teenage son, daughter, or grandchildren?
Yes! Youths aged 10 to 12 will be able to participate in our mentor program. The main focus of that program is teaching preteens about safe hunting practices and fostering a love of hunting and the great outdoors.
Youths aged 12 and up can obtain a hunting license if they have passed a hunter safety course. Our guides pay special attention to youth in the field, and we always ensure that safety is paramount. We are lucky enough to host some wonderful multi-generational hunting experiences every fall, and parents, grandparents, and children alike have the opportunity to forge strong bonds walking the fields together.
To promote a love of hunting among the next generation, all pheasant hunters under 18 years old will enjoy a 50% discount when accompanied by an adult.
Travel
Where is the closest airport?
Most of our hunters fly into the Sioux Falls Regional Airport, which is a full-service commercial airport. The main airlines that serve Sioux Falls include Delta, United, and American. Discount airlines like Allegiant and Frontier also fly there. Flights come directly into Sioux Falls from many major cities, including Atlanta, Nashville, Denver, Dallas, Charlotte, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and more.
Should you choose to fly private, you have a couple of additional options. The Chamberlain Airport is about 15 minutes away, but it can serve only small, private planes. The Mitchell Airport is less than an hour from the Lodge and is another attractive option for private planes. They offer heated hangars and other services.
If you need any assistance with your travel plans, please let us know and we can help you make arrangements. We are happy to arrange airport pickups and other services.
Can I drive to the Lodge?
Yes. We are very accessible from any direction. Kimball is right on Interstate 90, so that is typically the best choice if you’re coming from the east or west. If you’re coming from the south, you might take Highway 29, which connects to Interstate 90 in Sioux Falls.
From I-90, you will want to take exit 284 for Kimball. Then, turn right and continue around a curve on the edge of town to go west for six miles to 356th Avenue. Turn left onto the gravel road and drive for two miles south to 253rd Street. Turn right and drive 1.5 more miles to the Lodge, which you’ll see on the top of the hill.
One note of caution: Some hunters have reported that GPS has directed them incorrectly to the middle of a field south of Kimball. These coordinates will get you to the correct destination: 43.715, -99.100.
If you need any help with directions, we’re happy to assist you. Just give us a call at 1-855-SD-LODGE.
Hunting Opportunities
Can we hunt ducks too?
Yes! We do offer duck hunting, but it’s important to note that duck licenses in Brule County are disbursed through a lottery system. We will submit all licensing applications for you – so far, we’ve had a 100% success rate in obtaining licenses. How do we do it? We apply for licenses in groups, which helps our chances, and there are second and third draws that we are able to access if we are ever unsuccessful on the first draw.
In order to get you a duck hunting license, we will request a copy of your driver’s license and ask for the last four digits of your social security number. We’ll need this information prior to July 1 so that we can procure licenses for you in a timely fashion.
South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks has a lot to say about the advantages of duck hunting in our state: "Eastern South Dakota is located within the important waterfowl breeding grounds known as the ‘Prairie Pothole’ region. The area was scarred by glaciers at the end of the last ice age resulting in a landscape dotted with lakes, wetlands and streams where ducks abound. These wetland resources are what make South Dakota a duck hunter's paradise. From small pothole hunting with a dozen decoys, layout blinds in corn fields for feeding ducks, or hunting big water on the Missouri River or glacial lakes, South Dakota provides many duck hunting opportunities.”
Learn more about duck hunting at the Lodge on our waterfowl page.
Can we hunt prairie dogs too?
Yes! We have access to several prairie dog towns near the Lodge that are robust and full of life. If you have a larger group that’s interested in prairie dog hunting, we also have partners with substantial villages that are located less than an hour from the Lodge.
The best time for prairie dog hunting is generally late spring and summer after the new pups are above ground. Remember, prairie dogs are considered varmints, so there is no season and there are no limits to how many you can shoot. In fact, our local farmers are incredibly grateful that we eliminate some of the pesky prairie dogs each year!
Learn more about prairie dog hunting at the Lodge on our prairie dog hunting page.
Can we go fishing too?
Yes! We’re located in an excellent area close to the Missouri River, meaning that we’re able to offer outstanding fishing opportunities in addition to our hunting packages. In the spring and summer, we can provide private, guided fishing excursions sure to yield some tasty walleye. Fall fishing can also yield some great catches.
Depending on where the fish are biting, we’ll travel along the Missouri River or to some nearby lakes. Many of our hunters choose to stay an extra day either before or after their group hunts to do some walleye fishing on the beautiful river. Of course, we welcome standalone fishing trips as well.
Learn more about walleye fishing at the Lodge on our fishing page.
Can we hunt deer too?
Right now, our deer population is best described as being in the “let ’em grow” phase. Every few years, we seem to experience issues that result in the demise of many deer. We hope to foster more growth in our deer population so that we will be able to offer this opportunity in the future. Please check back as our deer population matures.
If you are seeking big game hunts (such as elk, antelope, and deer), we would be happy to recommend an outfitter in western South Dakota with excellent offerings.
Do you hunt released birds?
On our acreage and that of the surrounding farms that we lease, we hunt wild pheasants only. Our philosophy is that many other states offer preserve hunting with released birds, so if you’re willing to travel all the way to South Dakota for the real thing, you should have the chance to experience the challenge and thrill of hunting truly wild pheasants.
Why is this so important to us? In South Dakota, preserves are required to release as many roosters as they harvest, and many of these released birds are imported from other states. There is no quality control or inspection of these released birds, so it is possible for them to bring diseases or deficient DNA characteristics into our state. In the long term, these deficiencies harm our native pheasant population.
After hearing from hunters across the country about all the states that formerly offered phenomenal hunting and now have few pheasants left, we are committed to doing everything in our power to preserve the tradition of wild pheasant hunting in South Dakota.
How many acres do you hunt?
Including leased land, we have access to about 12,000 acres of prime pheasant habitat. Our land immediately surrounding the Lodge is devoted exclusively to promoting pheasants, and we spend lots of time every year designing, planning, and planting to make our food plots the best they can possibly be.
Our other land is leased from local ranchers and farmers who allow us to hunt on their acreage. Many of our partners raise cattle, meaning that we have access to many alfalfa and hay fields. These crops are great for supporting cattle, and they double as superb pheasant habitat. In particular, these areas promote nesting, which helps support our wild bird population.
When it comes to hunting wild pheasants, our rule of thumb is that any particular area should be hunted only once a week – otherwise, the birds will simply not return. Wild pheasants are wily like that. With that in mind, we’re committed to securing plenty of acreage so that we can keep our hunting groups rotating around our land. Some of our hunting areas are best suited for small groups while others require large numbers to adequately cover the ground.
Pricing
What does your all-inclusive price cover?
We aim to include as many amenities as possible to make our pricing extremely transparent – we don’t want any of our guests to face hidden costs or surprises. Our packages include expert guides, very well-trained dogs, all meals and snacks, beverages (including adult libations), lodging, unlimited shotgun shells, sporting clays, bird cleaning and vacuum-packaging, transportation to evening entertainment or other excursions like Cabela’s, field transportation, and all the amenities native to the Lodge: the fire pits, smoking lounge, gym, laundry room, and more.
What does your all-inclusive price NOT cover?
Our packages do not include guns. That’s because most of our hunters prefer to use their own firearms – but we do have rental guns available if yours malfunctions or if you would like to try out a different model. We also do not include licenses because they are valid for 10 days, so you could theoretically use the remaining days elsewhere. Some of our hunters do return on multiple occasions throughout the season, and they have the unique opportunity to experience both early- and late-season hunting. Finally, (optional) gratuities are not included, but they are very much appreciated by our staff should you feel so inclined.