South Dakota · Rabbit · 2026–27 Edition
South Dakota Rabbit Season 2026–27: Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cottontail rabbit | Statewide | Sep 1 – Mar 31 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily | 10 |
|---|---|
| Possession | 30 |
| Landowner exception | Landowners and their guests may hunt cottontail rabbit on the landowner's own property year-round with no bag limit |
| Jackrabbit | Not a small-game season species in South Dakota — hunted year-round statewide as an unprotected/varmint species (Predator/Varmint or Big Game license), unlimited take |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 1, 2026) 07:05 — 20:17
Rule: Sunrise to sunset — cottontail rabbit is listed among the species with no half-hour buffer in the SD GFP Hunting and Trapping Handbook's shooting-hours table (the buffer applies only to mourning dove, Sandhill crane and tundra swan). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local South Dakota sun times for any other date.
04 — License
Rabbit hunters in South Dakota need a South Dakota hunting license.
South Dakota licenses & permits — South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks →
05 — FAQ
When does rabbit season start in South Dakota?
The 2026–27 opener is September 1, 2026. See the table above for the full window.
When does rabbit season end in South Dakota?
The 2026–27 closing date is March 31, 2027.
Is there a closed season on rabbit in South Dakota?
Yes — see the dates above. Outside that window, taking rabbit is closed in South Dakota.
How many rabbits can you shoot in South Dakota per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Daily — 10. Possession — 30. Landowner exception — Landowners and their guests may hunt cottontail rabbit on the landowner's own property year-round with no bag limit. Jackrabbit — Not a small-game season species in South Dakota — hunted year-round statewide as an unprotected/varmint species (Predator/Varmint or Big Game license), unlimited take. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting rabbit in South Dakota?
On opening day (September 1, 2026) legal light runs 07:05 to 20:17. The rule is: Sunrise to sunset — cottontail rabbit is listed among the species with no half-hour buffer in the SD GFP Hunting and Trapping Handbook's shooting-hours table (the buffer applies only to mourning dove, Sandhill crane and tundra swan). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local South Dakota sun times for any other date.
Verified · South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks · Last verified 2026-08-14
Publisher's note. Official '2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook' PDF (title confirmed in the document's own page footers), downloaded and read directly. The 'Other Seasons' table gives Cottontail Rabbit: Sept. 1–Mar. 31, daily limit 10, possession limit 30, statewide. The handbook states shooting hours explicitly for this table: 'Sunrise to sunset for all species listed except mourning dove, Sandhill crane and tundra swan which is 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset' — cottontail rabbit is NOT one of the listed exceptions, so it is sunrise-to-sunset with no half-hour buffer, confirming the pattern flagged in prior scoping. A separate note in the handbook: landowners and their guests may hunt cottontail rabbit on the landowner's own property year-round without a bag limit. Jackrabbit is treated differently in South Dakota — it is not in this small-game season table at all; it is hunted year-round statewide as an unprotected/varmint species under a Predator/Varmint or Big Game license, with no daily or possession limit, and is out of scope for this cottontail-focused rabbit file.