Second Century Habitat Fund

06/08/2026

It’s brooding season - does your land have enough cover and feed? If not, it might be time to consider switching it up so the chicks have enough to survive.

Contact your local habitat advisor to walk you through some of the many options available by us and our many partners!

Peak pheasant hatch occurs this week in South Dakota! Pheasant chicks need a good source of protein from insects to grow. High populations of insects occur in diverse grasslands with many flowering plants that not coincidentally also provide good pheasant brood habitat.

If you would like to improve the pheasant brood habitat on your land, contact your local habitat advisor.

06/04/2026

How do you keep your dog busy in the off season?

06/01/2026

Thanks to SD Game, Fish and Parks for this great update on what our pheasants are up to this spring! Bring on nesting season!!

05/28/2026

Excellent opportunity to learn more about water retention practices you can implement on your land!

📚FREE Workshop Opportunity!

💦Keeping Water on the Land: Practical Restoration for Working Rangelands

🙂We’re excited to share this upcoming workshop from our partners at Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, focused on practical restoration strategies for working rangelands and keeping water on the land.

📍SDSU Cottonwood Field Station, 23738 Fairview Rd, Philip, SD 57567

📅 Thursday, July 23, 2026 | 8:30 AM – 2:45 PM

💧 Learn About:
• Restoration case studies
• Low tech restoration methods
• Soil health principles
• Watershed hydrology
• Rainfall simulator demonstrations
• Impoundments and salinity

🍽️ Included: Coffee, snacks, and lunch will be provided at no cost.

🤝 Open to Attend! All are welcome to attend this free workshop!

📲 RSVP: Please use the QR code on the flyer or email [email protected] for more information.

🤝This is a great opportunity to connect with conservation professionals and learn practical tools for restoring and managing working lands.

05/01/2026

𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕 𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆!

We are excited to share a new opportunity for donors who step up and donate $100 or more for habitat restoration efforts. More than just a sharp-looking hat, this is a way to show you support South Dakota’s land, wildlife, and traditions that make our state special!

All donations support restoring grasslands, creating nesting cover for pheasants and wildlife, improving soil and water quality, and in some cases providing additional public hunting access.

We currently have impacted 14,500 acres, and the more support we get the more acres we can impact! Wear these hats with pride knowing your support is making a difference!

Donate here: https://www.sdhabitatfund.com/donate

04/27/2026

Second Century Habitat Fund proudly congratulates Darling Creek Ranch and Dan & Sharon Anderson on being named the 2026 South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award recipients.

This prestigious recognition celebrates farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who are leading the way in improving soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat while keeping working lands productive for future generations. Those values strongly align with the mission of SCHF and the importance of voluntary, landowner-led conservation across South Dakota.

We are honored to be a supporter of the South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award and to stand alongside so many partners who recognize the stewardship taking place on our landscape.

Congratulations to Darling Creek Ranch for setting an outstanding example of conservation leadership in South Dakota. Your commitment to the land helps strengthen both our natural resources and our outdoor heritage for generations to come.

Learn more about their story here: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/leopold-conservation-award-program/darling-creek-ranch

03/26/2026

🌱 Looking to improve your habitat knowledge? Start here.

At the Second Century Habitat Fund, we’re always encouraging landowners to take the next step in managing and improving their habitat — and one of the best resources out there right now comes from our partners at Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever:

👉 Habitat University

Habitat University is a free, skills-based training platform designed for landowners, habitat managers, and anyone passionate about conservation.

✔️ Quick, practical courses (15–45 minutes)
✔️ Topics like “Fire as Fertilizer” and “Cows as Co-managers”
✔️ Step-by-step guidance for real habitat projects
✔️ Certificates and skill badges to build your knowledge

Whether you’re new to habitat work or looking to sharpen your management approach, this is a great way to gain confidence and make informed decisions on your land.

🌾 At SCHF, we know that strong habitat starts with strong understanding — and this is a tool worth taking advantage of.

👉 Check it out here: https://habitat-university.teachable.com/l/products?sortKey=recommended&sortDirection=asc&page=1

Browse the Habitat University product catalog to explore and discover available products.

03/20/2026

⏰ FINAL DAY — SOUTH DAKOTA BIGHORN SHEEP PERMIT AUCTION

Time is running out! Bidding is open and we’re in the last day of the South Dakota Bighorn Sheep Permit Auction.

Hosted by the Iowa Foundation of North American Wild Sheep, this is a rare opportunity to secure a once-in-a-lifetime hunt while supporting conservation efforts across South Dakota.

🤝 A true partnership effort
This is a coordinated conservation program, with proceeds shared among partners to support:

• Bighorn sheep management
• Habitat conservation
• Ongoing wildlife efforts across the state

The Second Century Habitat Fund is proud to be part of this collaborative effort working to protect and enhance South Dakota’s landscape.

🐏 One tag. Big impact.
Opportunities like this don’t come around often — and neither does the chance to directly invest in the future of wildlife and habitat.

👉 Place your bid now before the auction closes!
https://www.onlinehuntingauctions.com/SOUTH-DAKOTA-BIGHORN-SHEEP-PERMIT_i59387220

Second Century Habitat Fund partners with producers and landowners to conserve and expand healthy habitat for pheasants and other wildlife habitat.

02/28/2026

Enrollment is currently open on a first come, first serve basis for the Big Sioux River Watershed Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the James River Watershed CREP projects through March 20.

There is a chance that there will be a second sign up period later this summer, but it isn’t guaranteed. This may be the only opportunity to enroll in CREP in 2026, so don’t wait!

02/26/2026

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏.

One of our long-time donors stopped by our booth at Pheasant Fest to pick up his newest Second Century Habitat Supporter decal — and was kind enough to share this photo of every decal he's collected over the years.

Since the beginning, supporters like this have helped restore thousands of acres of South Dakota grasslands — one project and one year at a time.

These decals may be small, but they represent something big:
𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭.

Thank you to everyone who continues to stand with habitat year after year.

If you’ve been collecting decals too, we’d love to see them.

Want this year’s decal and to support habitat?
Get yours here:
https://license.gooutdoorssouthdakota.com/Shop/Inventory?groupId=5 #