South Dakota
A Sporting Oasis At South Dakota’s Sutton Bay
A bird’s eye view of Sutton Bays dramatic lodge and surrounding landscape.
Few states have managed to brand an outdoor activity any better than South Dakota has with its famous pheasant hunting. For an introduced game bird that didn’t take hold in America until the late 1800s, the ring-necked rooster has found a welcomed home in the state where more than 130,000 hunters took roughly 1.2 million of the birds last year. The state estimates that the roughly three-month pheasant season generates some $400 million in economic impact including seasonal salaries. For a state with fewer than one million people, that’s not chicken feed.
A ring-necked pheasant flushes from the wealth of native grasses surrounding Sutton Bay.
According to state estimates, there are nearly 300 pheasant lodges and guide services across the state catering to mostly out-of-state hunters, places where sportsmen and women from across the country descend to pay homage to one of America’s favorite game birds. Come October, the South Dakota grasslands look like animated pumpkin patches as orange-clad hunters line up and march through cover to unearth the colorful roosters within shotgun range. South Dakota native son and fellow pheasant hunter Tom Brokaw describes opening day of pheasant season here as a religious holiday.
The rolling terrain of the Missouri River breaks makes for beautiful and productive pheasant cover.
And if there’s one cathedral where pheasants are especially revered it’s Sutton Bay, a sprawling resort community located atop the rolling hills of the Missouri River breaks, a dramatic landscape overlooking the big water created by the Oahe Dam, completed in 1962 near the capital city of Pierre. Lake Oahe is one of the largest reservoirs in the U.S., some 231 miles long and is home to some of the best walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in the country.
The author, Norden and Orzi celebrate the end of a productive pheasant hunt at Sutton Bay.
In addition to hosting a remarkable fishery, the lake provides a spectacular backdrop to Sutton Bay’s massive lodge and cabin complex. Drive across mostly empty prairie for an hour and come upon Sutton Bay and the place feels nearly surreal. Surrounding the dramatic lodging is a sprawling golf course carved out of the breaks and overlooking the big waters of Oahe. It’s a long way from anywhere and that’s just the way members like it. If the apocalypse happened, this is as close to a safe haven as you’re likely to ever find.
I traveled here chasing rumors about the place and its unrivaled setting and epic sporting activities—pheasant hunting, fishing and golf—but my November focus was the property’s abundant and fast-flying pheasants. Joining me was dog trainer Domenico Orzi, an Italian expat who made his way to America after a lengthy stint in South Africa. Orzi owns a kennel full of classic Old-World pointers, slightly smaller than their American counterparts and famous for their pleasant dispositions and keen noses.
The sunset view from the main lodge of Sutton Bay.
Guiding Orzi and me is Sutton Bay’s Jeff Norden, the resort’s hunting director who happens to own one of the finest Labrador retrievers I’ve ever encountered. While the traditional South Dakota pheasant lodge experience entails a line of hunters walking fields of corn, milo or sorghum, we opted to focus on native cover with emphasis on working the dogs through ribbons of cattails and grasses.
Sutton Bay has nearly 5,000 acres of habitat that holds a mix of wild and early released pheasants, so it’s difficult to tell the difference in bird behavior because all of them launch like feathered rockets—especially late in the season when they’ve survived their share of gunners and their dogs.
Orzi intercepts a rising rooster, one of many encountered daily at Sutton Bay.
Unlike most of the relatively flat Dakota prairie, the Missouri breaks that make up much of Sutton Bay’s landscape create an assortment of coulees with cattail bottoms, perfect lairs to hide the shifty late-season pheasants. Norden’s Lab, however, had an especially effective knack for flushing the birds from the dense cattails, sending the roosters past Orzi and me as we paralleled the dog on either side of the draws. The Lab provided the one-two punch of flusher and retriever and seldom missed marking and fetching the downed birds. For many bird hunters, watching a skilled dog work is the highlight of the experience, and Norden’s Lab was the marquee attraction.
Gourmet dining is also a part of the Sutton Bay experience.
Following each hunt, we returned to Sutton Bay’s main lodge to enjoy gourmet meals that made certain; despite hiking the better part of each day, we didn’t lose weight on the visit. While enjoying Sutton Bay’s hospitality, we learned about the rich history of the property.
The Sutton Ranch began in 1896 when Ed Sutton purchased roughly 1,500 acres from a Chicago land company. Long before the Suttons settled the land, however, many Native American tribes thrived in the area. In 1804, intrepid explorers Lewis and Clark camped near what would become the Sutton Ranch as they searched for a waterway to the Pacific. Highway 1804, located near the ranch, is named in honor of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Norden and his world class gun dogs.
While South Dakota might be flyover country to many, for tens of thousands of American hunters the state is a dream destination, the kind of place any bird hunter aspires to visit at least once in their lives. For the 400 members of Sutton Bay, however, South Dakota is more than a bucket list stop, it’s become a seasonal home. One visit here and you’ll understand why.
Watch the SDSU men’s basketball team at a postgame press conference
South Dakota State head coach Bryan Peterson and guard Joe Sayler talk about the Jackrabbits’ loss to South Dakota on Feb. 7, 2026.
The South Dakota State men’s basketball team has a chance to get some payback against South Dakota today in both teams’ final game before the Summit League Tournament begins.
The Jackrabbits (14-16, 7-8 Summit League) have won three of four and just beat Kansas City 73-59 on Thursday, Feb. 26. The Coyotes (15-15, 7-8) are headed in the opposite direction, having stopped a three-game skid with an 89-72 win over Omaha on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Here’s how to watch the two rivals battle again.
South Dakota State at South Dakota men’s basketball TV, radio, stream
- Radio: Jackrabbit Sports Network, Coyote Sports Network
- Stream: Summit League Network
South Dakota State at South Dakota time today
- Location: Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion
South Dakota State at South Dakota prediction
Paul Cifonelli, Argus Leader: Like the first time these two teams met, this is a matchup between two squads headed in different directions. Somehow, they’ve managed to flip roles in just three weeks.
South Dakota looks like it is running out of steam quickly after impressing and threatening the third spot in the Summit League in early February. South Dakota State has rebounded from losing five of six nicely, giving themselves a chance at hitting .500 on the season.
I expect the Jackrabbits to continue playing inspired and hard, and for them to overwhelm a Coyote side that has shown more fight than anyone could’ve imagined.
South Dakota State 73, South Dakota 65
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Feb. 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
03-04-13-28-42, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Schumer demands congressional brief on Iran; Louisiana delegation weighs in on attack
Northern Maine Med Center RNs reaffirm care for community
Pilot killed after small plane crashes in woods of Hollywood, Maryland
First Film to Depict a Robot Discovered in Michigan
20k customers without power in Revere, Winthrop areas
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
2 Survivors Describe the Terror and Tragedy of the Tahoe Avalanche
Iran fires missiles at US bases across Middle East after American strikes on nuclear, IRGC sites
Israel strikes two schools in Iran, killing more than 50 people
Anthropic CEO says he’s sticking to AI “red lines” despite clash with Pentagon
ICE blasts Washington mayor over directive restricting immigration enforcement
-
World3 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana6 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO3 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT