How's the hunting generally speaking in South Dakota?
 

My main interests are deer, dove and pheasant. Is most land for hunting in SD private? Are there any good WMA's and access lands for hunters to use private lands? Are center-fire rifles allowed for deer on any lands open to the public? Do SD deer gun antler-less seasons offer good opportunities to harvest does? Does the gun hunter have a decent number of days to take does? I'm considering living in SD. Houses not too expensive, low crime, beautiful outdoors, plenty of bodies of water for boating and fishing, low congestion, low pollution, constitutional carry, Pierre is only 1,400 feet (good for my asthma), no tornado alley like in Oklahoma. I've lived in Boise,ID (2,750 feet) for ten tears and did get used to the snow there. I know the Dakotas are Snow City: I saw the film Fargo. The mid-west is the new American Frontier. Idaho, Wyoming and Montana have been getting too pricey for real estate, however, and the altitude in WY is rather high for me, altitude sickness.

personally I think since you have so little hunting experience
you should maybe stick to getting some in your own state before traveling!

But YES hunting an be great in SD,as it can be in OK

like any hunting, the amount of game in any location depends on tons of variables, and none are just location or state!

SD has tons of both private and public lands, as well, state federal and even Indian reservations that have there own hunting seasons and rules!

so, maybe before you go wasting time looking at other states,
maybe actually get out and start hunting, scouting is something you can do RIGHT NOW and if I was you, I'd be starting it ASAP

as you sure have a LOT to learn, that reading forums and online content isn;'t going to get you any experience in!!

I wouldn't be moving to SD mainly for hunting but mainly for a home-buying opportunity in an area with nicer scenery and out of Tornado Alley as well as low population and not all the concrete-jungle hoopla. I like more hills, forests and bodies of water for recreational boating. I like the northern states better than the southern states. I wanted to hear from South Dakota residents who hunt. I'm just curious about it.

well again, SD is a great state, spent a lot of time in the state from hunting to ATV riding to riding snowmobile's,,
to just traveling thru the state visiting different area's!
so, pending WHAT part of SD , there is a huge difference in terrain, as well as ownership as to population of residents in an area!

hunting quality again changes as to how land is managed or NOT
just asking how is SD< is not going to net you very much accurate information
due to pending WHAT part of SD you in, things will change

Once again, maybe GO There and see area's your thinking about in person,a s that is the honest way to get REAL experience in an area!
GO talk to actuality residents in them area's
most will have straight forward likes and dislikes if your social enough to talk to them and ask for there opinions!

over my travels there I made several decent friends I am still in touch with today!

If I just went off words on a screen, I may never have gone many of the places I did there too, , and can tell you for a FACT< hunting places where some said game was rich and or wasn't, based on info off a forum
was NOT very accurate, from my experience either
I hunted many places , many said things were poor, only to find that wasn't correct at all
and vice versa!

game in area's can fluctuate from yr to yr, pending weather, and other factors
same as hunting pressure
some yrs can be heavy and others yrs low!
so again, before anyone makes a call to MOVE to a new state/area, I highly suggest GOING there, spend a week there, suck up the costs and learn about the area before making a huge commitment as in BUYING a house or land or moving, it will be Money well spent!
saving you a lot of hardship of finding out what/where you moved too is what you want over a Blind guess based on words from strangers off some web site or??

and I have rented MANY homes in SD over the yrs(typically on a few hundred to thousand acres)
and the prices were always VERY good! when you make the effort to find them that is and not just take the easy picks that are NOT so cheap

example, last house I rented there was under 700 bucks a for a 7 night stay on a few thousand acres(like 5,000 acres) I hunted off of!
as I said many times , the more effort you put into things the better the deals can be and experiences you get in return!

I'm thinking of buying a home in suburban setting near a major city. As a Veteran, I want a VA hospital close as well as a supermarket, a Toyota dealership, a Lowe's, gun shops, a Costco or a Sam's and a Walmart. Sioux Falls is SD biggest city with a whopping 189K people. The most fearsome thing in SD so far, I've read, is winter. Jack Frost has a field day in SD. A push snow blower, a heated dog house, a heater water dish and a 4x4 vehicle is in order.

well a lot fop towns in SD I have been in DON"T have a lot of the big chain stores near by, and most folks there are happy there not!

as for winters they can be harder in some places and not so bad in others, all depends again on what part opf SD your in

and as for needing a heated dog house and dish
that's a easy fix, just keep your dog indoors, as that's what most folks do any more
the days of tying a dog outside are pretty much long gone in most places

as honestly what's the point of having a dog if you keep it outside
I wouldn't ever think of doing so, all mine have been PETS and companions for me and there presence INDOORS with me made my life more enjoyable and was not a issue for me at all!
Heck my last dog traveled all across the USA several times sitting next to me, and was like a kid to me, as how MANY folks feel about there pets!
and he was an outstanding bird dog too boot, hunted in many states over his life time!
the old days mind set of keeping a dog tied up outside is again, a thing of the past in most places, MINUS some odds and ends with working dogs that work with live stock and few still set in there ways of wanting dogs to be alarms for folks entering there land! or guarding there again, live stock
but its far from common any more !
need to own a, NO< most folks DON"T own 4x4's that live in snow belt places, as most often, IF snow is that bad they stay home, or wait till roads get plowed to go places, works for tens of thousands of folks

BUT nothing wrong with owning a 4x4 if one wants too(I have never NOT owned one since legal age of driving)
I am personal friends with many folks in there 90;'s now, that NEVER owned a 4x4 vehicle and live in places that get huge amounts of snow every yr, and never had issues getting any where if they HAD too!
so that is a mis conception , and a fear , mostly by folks that know nothing about SNOW< and or driving in it, like all things in life, there are SKILLS you get from experience in doing things, and reading about them will never get you the SKILLS and experience to be good at them!
NEXT
and as for the need of owning a snow blower, that again, is optional

I live in a snow belt, and DON"T own one ANYMORE, have owned a few over the yrs, but more yrs of my life I have NOT owned one, than I have, and sold/gave away my last few, due to I just don't use them anymore! at all!

and don't miss them either, I am fine without one!
however!
I do own snow plows and heavy equipment that I use to move snow now, for me and neighbors(and I plow for them all for FREE)

SO< a basic shovel can work just fine if you have the desire and health
if not, well then, you can PAY someone to shovel,plow for you, or , you can BUY equipment to do it yourself

NO one makes anyone own a snow blower!

if the fear of snow and winter cold scares you NOW< maybe consider moving else where,a why move to a place you already foresee issue;s and worries?
the USA is a pretty large place with many different habitats that DON"T get snow or often and have the things you desire!