Hecla Dakota Hunting Farms

Hecla Dakota Hunting Farms has family roots on this land going back to the early 1900s—they actually helped introduce pheasants to this part of South Dakota at the turn of the century. Located near the small farming community of Hecla in northeast South Dakota, just 40 miles from Aberdeen and bordering the 28,000-acre Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the operation sits in the Central Flyway where pheasants, ducks, geese, and Tundra swans naturally congregate.

The hunting headquarters is a four-story farmhouse built in 1913 and converted to a lodge in the 1940s. A 2005 renovation expanded capacity to 40 guests. The setup includes:

• •Basement recreation center with pool table, game tables, bar, and walk-in cooler
• •Main floor with large kitchen, dining rooms, library, and two TV rooms
• •Heated concrete floors with dark forest green carpeting (winter comfort + summer air conditioning)
• •Mud room with gear storage lockers
• •Some rooms feature private baths

Family-style meals feature homemade baked goods, garden vegetables, orchard fruit, and always-full cookie jars. A walk-in freezer and huge BBQ handle large parties easily.

Pheasant Hunts — Full-service packages include lodging, guides, dogs, 3-5 roosters per day, meals, and bird processing. Pricing: 3-rooster packages from $1,995 (3 days) to $3,245 (5 days); 5-rooster packages from $2,235 to $3,595. Drive-in hunts available for $255-$325 per hunter per day.

Waterfowl & Snow Goose Hunts — 3-5 day packages combining waterfowl hunts with pheasant hunts ($1,050-$4,775). Full service includes guides, dogs, lodging, meals, bird processing, and airport transportation to/from Aberdeen.

Do-It-Yourself Lodges — Three independent lodge options (Ruenz's Roost, Refuge, and Retreat) sleep 9-12 people with kitchens and outdoor kennels. $60 per person per night.

All guides grew up hunting in the area and have hunting backgrounds. Hunters can bring their own dogs or use the farm's pointers, flushers, and retrievers.

Valid South Dakota hunting license required. Pheasant and waterfowl licenses obtained through SD GFP. 50% non-refundable deposit confirms reservations. State sales tax added to all charges. Prices increase April 1, 2026.