PIERRE, S.D. (DRG News) – South Dakota’s regular pheasant hunting season opens Saturday.

If the youth and resident only on public land openers are any indication, Game, Fish and Parks conservation officer John Murphy says hunters should do well.

He says some advantages for hunters this year are harvest is well ahead of the normal pace, daily hours have been expanded and the season is longer.

Murphy says it’s extremely dry out in the country and asks hunters to please be courteous on the roads.

Murphy says there are still daily and possession limits.

GFP and the state Department of Tourism have partnered to encourage more families and individuals to hunt using the hashtag #HuntTheGreatest.

Again, shooting hours begin at 10 a.m. Central Time from Oct. 17 through Jan. 31. The most up-to-date information on South Dakota regular pheasant hunting season can be found on the GFP website. Look for the hunting handbook on the regulations page.