Gray wolves are present in South Dakota, but their status is not what most people expect. The state does not host a large, established population like some neighboring regions. Instead, individuals confirmed within the state’s borders are rare and transient animals traveling through the landscape. This intermittent presence means South Dakota is not home to breeding packs, and the chance of encountering one remains exceptionally low.
Historical Presence and Extirpation
The gray wolf (Canis lupus) once occupied all of South Dakota as an apex predator. Their original range extended across the entire state, where they preyed upon native bison and elk populations. This historical distribution changed dramatically with the arrival of European settlers and the establishment of livestock operations in the 19th century.
The conflict between wolves and the growing ranching industry quickly escalated, leading to organized eradication efforts. Through widespread use of hunting, trapping, and poisoning, wolves were systematically removed to protect livestock. These intense campaigns, often supported by government-funded bounties, effectively eliminated native, breeding wolf populations from the state.
By the early 20th century, extirpation was nearly complete. Individuals like the “Custer Wolf” in the Black Hills, killed in 1920, and “Three Toes” of Harding County, killed in 1925, became symbols of this conflict. These killings marked the final chapter for the resident gray wolf in South Dakota, leaving the species entirely absent for decades.
Current Transient and Resident Status
The wolves now found in South Dakota are typically transient individuals dispersing from established populations elsewhere, not remnants of the original population. These are usually young wolves leaving their birth packs to search for a mate and a territory of their own. They travel vast distances, often originating from the Northern Rocky Mountains recovery area in the west or the Great Lakes region in the east, particularly Minnesota.
The most common area for confirmed presence is the Black Hills National Forest, given its proximity to the Northern Rockies population in Wyoming and Montana. This mountainous terrain provides suitable habitat and connectivity to western populations, making it a natural corridor for dispersing individuals. Wolves have been documented on both sides of the Missouri River, indicating wide-ranging movements across the state’s prairie landscape.
Wildlife officials track the presence of these animals using methods including DNA analysis from scat or hair samples and the collection of biological data from any wolves that are incidentally killed. This monitoring confirms that while wolves are occasionally present, South Dakota has no confirmed packs or denning activities. The state’s current status remains one of occasional visitation rather than resident recovery.
Regulatory Framework and Management
The legal status of the gray wolf in South Dakota is subject to frequent shifts between federal and state jurisdiction. Wolves outside the Northern Rocky Mountains Distinct Population Segment are currently protected under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) across the majority of the lower 48 states. This federal protection prohibits the “take” of a wolf unless it is posing a direct threat to human life.
This ESA protection means the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) currently does not have management authority over the species. When the species was briefly delisted from the ESA in January 2021, the GFP immediately classified the wolf as a predator, allowing hunting and trapping under state law. However, a federal court decision in February 2022 reinstated ESA protections, returning jurisdiction to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and ending state-managed harvest.
In cases of suspected livestock depredation, the GFP works directly with the USFWS to investigate the incident. The management protocol focuses on confirming a wolf was responsible for the loss and utilizing non-lethal methods to prevent future conflicts. Even when a wolf is incidentally killed, the GFP requests that the public notify a conservation officer to facilitate inspection and DNA sampling, which contributes to the limited scientific data available on these transient animals.