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February 4, 2026
NSSF PROFILE Q&A: Governor Larry Rhoden (R-S.D.)
Editor’s Note: We are pleased to post the latest of our occasional Q&A features with an elected official who supports hunting and the recreational shooting sports. NSSF thanks South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden for speaking with us about his staunch support for the Second Amendment, hunting and recreational target shooting and the importance of the firearm and ammunition industry to his constituents in the Mount Rushmore State.
Governor Rhoden previously served as lieutenant governor under former Gov. Kristi Noem before she was confirmed to be Secretary of Homeland Security last year. Governor Rhoden assumed office in January 2025 and was recently featured as one of several governors on stage for the 5th Annual Governors’ Forum at NSSF’s SHOT Show®.
1 – Who introduced you to hunting and the shooting sports?
Hunting has always been an important part of my life. I remember going out with my dad on my first deer hunt when I just a boy — there is nothing quite like enjoying the great outdoors and learning how to hunt with your dad. It was even more special when I got to introduce my own sons to hunting and the shooting sports, passing down the same skills and responsibility my dad taught me.
2 – Why are hunting and the shooting sports important to you in your job as South Dakota’s top executive?
In South Dakota, hunting and enjoying the outdoors isn’t just a hobby — it’s a way of life. Hunting and the shooting sports support conservation, strengthen our communities, and drive our economy. In fact, the firearm and ammunition industry supports nearly 700 direct jobs in South Dakota and contributes more than $420 million in economic impact!
South Dakota is the freest state in a nation founded on the principle of freedom, and the Second Amendment exists to protect all our other rights. We will protect those freedoms so that our kids and grandkids can continue to enjoy the great outdoors and embrace their right to bear arms.
3 – What was your most recent or favorite shooting sports/hunting activity?
South Dakota’s hunting tradition runs deep, and the Governor’s Pheasant Hunt is one of my favorite weekends of the year. It is a weekend full of good stories, great company and plenty of reasons to be proud to call South Dakota home. This past year, we harvested over 900 birds at the Governor’s Hunt, which is a testament to our strong wildlife management programs and incredible hunting opportunities.
4 – Which piece of pending legislation in South Dakota related to conservation, hunting and the firearm industry is particularly important to you and why? Or what is your next priority for protecting the Second Amendment rights of South Dakotans?
South Dakota is the most Second Amendment-friendly state in the nation! We will keep it that way by cutting red tape and making sure companies know that we are Open for Opportunity. I’m currently working with legislators to deregulate suppressors at the state level. It’s a major step forward that has broad support from NSSF, the NRA and law enforcement. In my State of the State Address, I also announced that national security would be South Dakota’s “next big industry.” And firearms are a big part of keeping our people and our nation safe.
5 – What do you see as the challenges and opportunities in South Dakota, or possibly more broadly the country, for hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts in the Mount Rushmore State?
Instead of seeing challenges as obstacles to overcome, we see them as opportunities to achieve. And 2024 was our strongest pheasant hunting season in a decade, and by all accounts, 2025 was just as strong. Under the Noem-Rhoden Administration, we launched the Second Century Initiative to make sure that we keep South Dakota the best place in the world to hunt pheasants.
South Dakota remains a top destination for hunters across the country. We have nearly 1.7 million acres of private land enrolled for public hunting access. And over 120,000 acres are enrolled in habitat programs, providing hunters with incredible opportunities across the state.
And our growing and thriving firearm and ammunition industry is an opportunity that we will nurture and expand, especially with the new focus on making national security our “next big industry.”
Our state’s opportunities are not limited by my vision, or the vision of any of our leaders. Our opportunity is as wide as the sweeping South Dakota prairie, and as high as the Black Hills.
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