Most hunters treat preference points as a consolation prize. You apply, miss out, and assume a point gets added to your account. Eventually, those points help you draw a license.
In South Dakota, the system works differently in two important ways that hunters often overlook.
First, preference points are not added automatically. Second, the way the draw is structured means the difference between having points and having none can be significant.
The deadline to purchase preference points is December 15.
How the Draw Actually Works
South Dakota doesn’t put every applicant into one pool and randomly draw names. The process moves through a sequence of pools, with licenses allocated to each group before remaining licenses move to the next.
For deer, antelope, and turkey, the order is:
- Landowners with preference: 50% of the licenses in a unit are allocated through this pool first.
- Landowners without preference: Any licenses remaining from the first pool.
- The 2+ preference pool: 50% of the licenses available, plus any licenses remaining from the earlier landowner pools.
- The 1+ preference pool: Any licenses remaining.
- The 0+ preference pool: Any licenses still available.
- Second-choice applications: If licenses remain after the earlier pools.
GFP explains the priority given to applicants with preference points:
“No licenses will be issued to an applicant in the 0+ Preference Pool unless all applicants in the 1+ Preference Pool have been issued a license.”
In other words, applicants with no preference points don’t compete on equal terms with applicants who have at least one. The 0+ pool is considered only after applicants in the 1+ pool have been issued licenses.
How the Cubing System Works
Within each pool, the draw is random, but applicants’ chances are weighted according to their preference points.
Applicants are entered once for their current application and once for each year of preference they hold. GFP then cubes the number of entries before running the draw.
For example:
- No preference points: 1 entry, cubed to 1.
- One preference point: 2 entries, cubed to 8.
- Two preference points: 3 entries, cubed to 27.
These figures illustrate the weighting described by GFP; they are calculated examples, not published odds of drawing a license.
GFP also makes clear that the system does not guarantee a license or create a true top-down preference point system. Applicants with more points are not guaranteed to draw ahead of every applicant with fewer points. The draw within each pool remains random. However, the weighting can make a substantial difference, and accumulated points can improve an applicant’s position over time.
Preference Points Are Not Awarded Automatically
This is the detail that catches many hunters who are familiar with systems in other states.
GFP states:
“One point may be purchased each year the applicant is unsuccessful.”
You must choose to purchase the point, either when applying or later through your licensing profile before December 15. If you applied for a West River deer license this year, were unsuccessful, and did nothing else, you may have no preference point in your account.
Preference points cost $5 for South Dakota residents and $20 for nonresidents.
You can begin accumulating points at age 10 for eligible species. Paddlefish is the exception to the minimum-age requirement. Preference points cannot be transferred to another person.
One important distinction: access permit points cannot be purchased. These are earned only by applying and being unsuccessful.
Purchased Points Don’t Expire If You Skip a Year
GFP explains:
“Purchased preference points are automatically credited to an application, even if you do not apply for the applicable season the following year.”
A point you purchase this December can therefore remain available when you apply in a future year, provided you follow the applicable rules. You don’t have to submit an application every year just to retain a purchased point.
If you’re planning a hunt several years from now, this is worth understanding. You can buy an eligible point, skip applying in the following years, and apply when you’re ready to hunt.
What Happens If You Can’t Use a License You’ve Drawn?
If you draw a license using preference points but later find you can’t make the hunt, GFP may allow you to return the license and have your points reinstated, provided you meet the applicable requirements and deadline.
The stated fees are $10 for residents and $30 for nonresidents. Returning the license also affects your eligibility for subsequent draws for that season.
Because the return requirements and deadlines matter, confirm the current rules with GFP before relying on this option.
When Your Points Are Used
GFP states:
“Accrued preference points are required to be used for any season during the first draw, first choice selection.”
This means preference points must be used for your first choice in the first draw.
In later rounds, you have more flexibility.
GFP states:
“Applicants can choose to use preference for their second choice during a first drawing and for any subsequent drawing for both the first and second choice.”
Depending on the draw and license rules, this can allow hunters to pursue another opportunity in a later round without using the points they’ve accumulated for a future application.
Always check the rules for the specific season before submitting your choices.
Which Hunts Use Preference Points?
Preference points apply to South Dakota’s limited-issue seasons. The seasons listed by GFP include:
Deer
- West River
- East River
- Black Hills
- Custer State Park
- Muzzleloader
- Refuge
Antelope
- Prairie firearms season
- Custer State Park
- Special Antelope
If you’re considering a rifle hunt with Rock Road Outfitters, West River deer and prairie firearms antelope are two seasons worth looking into.
Keep in mind that not every season is available to nonresidents. Check the current eligibility requirements before applying.
GFP publishes historical draw statistics by unit, which can help you understand how many preference points successful applicants held in previous years. Some units may be drawn with fewer points than others, and the results can change from year to year.
What to Do Before December 15
- Check your account. If you applied this year and didn’t draw, don’t assume a preference point was added. Check your licensing profile.
- Consider your future plans. If you might hunt South Dakota in the next few years, purchasing an eligible point may be worth considering. For a nonresident, the cost is $20 per point.
- Check which season your points apply to. Points are tracked by season rather than held in one general balance.
You can manage your licenses and preference points through Go Outdoors South Dakota at gfp.sd.gov.
How Rock Road Outfitters Can Help
We guide deer and antelope hunts on private land in western and south-central South Dakota. Each year, we help hunters work through the application process, including which unit to choose, how to rank their choices, and when to apply.
If you’re unsure whether to purchase a preference point or which season to purchase one for, call us at (605) 630-2694. It’s a quick conversation, with no pressure to book a hunt.
Preference point rules, costs, draw structure, and deadlines are set by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and may change. Confirm the current requirements at gfp.sd.gov before purchasing points.