Our lodge sits on the grasslands above the Missouri River and has been looking after hunters since 1988, with premier pheasant hunts on more than 7,000 acres, luxury rooms and superb meals. Many guests have been coming back for 20 years or more.

It’s also a favorite for corporate groups, and the season extends with prairie dog shoots and walleye fishing on the Missouri from May through August.

Hunt more than 150,000 acres of private ranches west of Pierre, along the Cheyenne and Bad Rivers. This is free-range country with no fences to speak of: rolling prairie, deep river breaks, cottonwood bottoms and pine-covered buttes. Hunts are based out of a comfortable hotel with private rooms, Wi-Fi and hearty meals, and airport pickup in Pierre is included.

Mule deer (rifle). Rifle hunters regularly take bucks scoring 160 to 180 inches and often see 15 to 30 bucks a day, with a 90 to 100% harvest rate. It’s an easy hunt physically, mostly glassing and spot-and-stalk, so come ready for 200 to 400 yard shots and changeable weather. You can add a pronghorn while you’re here. The ground runs from rolling sagebrush plains to rugged badlands canyons, and the state record of 213 inches proves this country grows giants.

Mule deer (archery). Bow hunts run in early November, the week before rifle season as the rut gets going, so archers get first crack at the biggest bucks. Expect plenty of stalks on 160 to 180 inch-plus bucks during a typical five-day hunt, mostly spot-and-stalk with the occasional ground blind, and a 90 to 100% shot opportunity. Archers here have taken a number of 180-inch-plus bucks in recent years. Archery tags are sold over the counter and are good for mule deer or whitetail, so there’s no draw.

Whitetail deer. The same ranches hold mature whitetails in the 140 to 160 inch class, and it’s common to see 10 to 20 bucks in a day. Rifle hunts are timed for mid-November and the peak of the rut, hunting from ground blinds and spot-and-stalk, with a 90 to 100% harvest rate.

Tags made easy. South Dakota deer tags come through a private-land drawing each spring, and the outfitter handles your applications, license and tag for you. Once your buck is down, they’ll field dress it and arrange processing and shipping right from Pierre.

Hunt bison across rolling prairie that looks straight out of Dances With Wolves. The season runs from early December through the end of February, so expect snow, cold and a hunt you’ll never forget, with rifle or bow.

Between hunts, your group gets a private lodge all to itself, with good food and South Dakota hospitality. Pheasant, waterfowl, deer and fishing are available here too.