• South Dakota Hunting & Fishing Guide / Outfitter Industry Survey

  • Conducted by the Tourism Coalition of South Dakota
  • Purpose: To better understand the role hunting and fishing guides and outfitters play in South Dakota's economy, workforce, tourism industry, conservation efforts, and local communities.
  • During the 2026 legislative session, several bills were introduced that would have created additional regulations, reporting requirements, or oversight for professional guides and outfitters. This survey is intended to gather factual, cumulative industry data that can help educate legislators, community leaders, agencies, and stakeholders.
  • Confidentiality: Individual responses will be visible to survey administrators for validation, duplicate-response prevention, follow-up, and data accuracy. Results shared with legislators, agencies, media, or partner organizations will be reported only in aggregate or without identifying the individual business unless specific permission is granted.
  • Please submit only one response per business.
  • The Tourism Coalition of South Dakota was formed by the visitor industry to fill a void of representation before the legislature. TCSD was organized so the industry would have a united front and be recognized during the lawmaking process as the statewide advocate for the visitor industry. The TCSD Board communicates its positions to the members through newsletters and email messages. Learn more at tourismcoalitionsd.com
  • Before this survey, were you aware of TCSD?
  • Are you a member?
  • The South Dakota Department of Tourism is made up of two divisions: the Department of Tourism and the South Dakota Arts Council. Together, they serve the people of South Dakota and all who come to meet our Great Faces and explore our Great Places. The mission is to promote the state as a premier vacation destination to all visitors and to support and serve the South Dakota visitor industry. SDVisit.com is the official Travel South Dakota website where you'll find the latest tourism industry reports, initiatives, marketing tools, training opportunities and more.
  • Before this survey, were you aware of Travel SD and its resources, like A La Carte marketing programs, for businesses?

  • In addition to state-wide support, SD is also broken up into 4 regions of Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) These are 501(c)(6) entities, non-profit organizations, not marketing agencies. The sole purpose is to showcase the regions and communities, driving local economies forward and bringing more visitors directly into local business. They are partially supported by Travel SD, but not officially part of it. They represent their members. (Used in Question 2.)

  • SECTION 1 - BUSINESS PROFILE

  • 1. Business/contact information:
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • 2. Tourism Region / Area Served: Check all that apply (refer to map below).
  • South Dakota's 4 tourism regions

  • Southeast South Dakota Tourism Association - Southeast Region
    Missouri River Tourism Association - Central Region
    Black Hills and Badlands - Western Region
    Glacial Lakes and Prairies - Northeast Region

  • 3. Years in Operation
  • 4. Type of Operation: Check all that apply.
  • 5. Do you operate year-round or seasonally?
  • 6. Which seasons or activities are most important to your business? Check all that apply.

  • SECTION 2 - CLIENT TRENDS & TOURISM ECONOMICS

  • 7. Approximate annual volume (2025):
  • 8. Approximately what percentage of those clients are:
  • 9. Have your client numbers changed over the last 3-5 years?
  • 10. What are the primary reasons clients choose South Dakota? Check all that apply.
  • 11. What factors most influence client satisfaction? Check all that apply.
  • 12. Are clients requesting different hunting, fishing, or outdoor experiences now than they did 5-10 years ago?
  • 13. If yes, what changes are you seeing? Check all that apply.
  • 14. What challenges most commonly discourage bookings? Check all that apply.

  • SECTION 3 - EMPLOYMENT & WORKFORCE

  • 16. Do you employ out-of-state workers?
  • 18. Do you utilize visa programs such as:
  • 19. What workforce challenges does your business currently face? Check all that apply.

  • SECTION 4 - REGULATIONS, COMPLIANCE & EXISTING OVERSIGHT

  • 21. Which of the following does your business currently maintain or follow? Check all that apply.
  • 22. Approximately how much does your business spend annually on insurance, licensing, and regulatory compliance?
  • 23. Do you believe current state and federal regulations already provide accountability and oversight for your business?
  • 24. What additional regulations proposed or discussed during the 2026 legislative session concerned you most? Check all that apply.
  • 27. Do you believe additional recordkeeping requirements for outfitters would duplicate information already collected by SDGFP or other agencies?

  • SECTION 5 - LANDOWNER, AGENCY, COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC IMPACT

  • 28. How important are landowner relationships and cooperation with SDGFP or other conservation agencies to your business?
  • 29. Do you believe GFP has the staff, funding, tools, and authority needed to effectively carry out its current responsibilities related to hunting, fishing, conservation, enforcement, licensing, data collection, and public education?
  • 32. Which of the following does your business partner with or support? Check all that apply.
  • 34. Which local businesses or services benefit from your clients during their visit? Check all that apply.
  • In your opinion, how important are guides and outfitters to tourism and economic activity in your region?
  • 36. Approximately how much do you estimate your clients spend locally outside of what they pay directly to your business?

  • SECTION 6 - ROAD HUNTING, SAFETY & PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING

  • 38. Do road hunting laws, safety concerns, or public perceptions of road hunting affect your business, clients, or landowner relationships?

  • SECTION 7 - FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY & POLICY EDUCATION

  • 41. What are the biggest challenges facing hunting and fishing guides today? Check all that apply.
  • 42. What would help strengthen the guide / outfitter industry in South Dakota? Check all that apply.
  • 43. Do you believe legislators have a strong understanding of the guide / outfitter industry?
  • 48. Would you be willing to participate in future industry discussions or educational meetings with policymakers?
  • 49. May survey administrators contact you for clarification or follow-up?
  • 50. May your business be publicly identified in future examples, case studies, or media materials?

  • SUGGESTED GOALS FOR SURVEY RESULTS

    • Existing levels of regulation already in place
    • Economic impact on rural communities
    • Tourism-related spending generated by hunting and fishing clients
    • Workforce and housing challenges
    • Insurance, licensing, and compliance responsibilities already carried by operators
    • Existing relationships with landowners, agencies, local businesses, and communities
    • Community involvement, youth support, and conservation partnerships
    • Client trends, changing visitor expectations, and future tourism opportunities
    • Potential unintended consequences of overregulation
    • Practical information that can help legislators better understand the industry
  • It also creates factual data points. The results may be used during future legislative hearings, educational meetings, agency discussions, media interviews, tourism planning, and advocacy efforts, while maintaining respondent anonymity.
  • Thank you for contributing to the first statewide South Dakota Guide & Outfitter Industry Survey. Your responses will be combined with those of other businesses to help educate legislators, agencies, and tourism leaders while maintaining respondent confidentiality.
  • Thank you,
  • Carmen Schramm
  • Tourism Coalition of SD
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