Our Story
Wenzel’s Pheasant Hills Lodge is a family operation on a third-generation farm, owned and run for more than 30 years. It began when Gary Wenzel started guiding hunts on the family ground with a clear goal: build some of the best hunting habitat in South Dakota. After many seasons and happy hunters, Gary’s son Clay and wife Hope now runs the lodge and is growing what his dad started for the next generation.
The lodge sits on over 5,000 acres of prime private land around Wessington Springs. The family manages the ground for farming, cattle, and guiding, creating habitat and food plots that hold roosters, waterfowl, and giant bucks. From September to January the lodge is base camp for pheasant, waterfowl, and duck hunts. The rest of the year it hosts corporate events, family reunions, and more so guests can return season after season.
Our Ground
Set in the rolling prairie around Wessington Springs, our 5,000+ acres of private ground combine cropland, pasture, shelterbelts, and carefully planted food plots. It’s managed year-round for both agriculture and wildlife, producing strong habitat that holds pheasants, draws in migrating waterfowl, and grows the kind of trophy whitetails South Dakota is known for.
Location
Our country-style lodge sits along SD Hwy 34 just west of Wessington Springs, in quiet farm country with wide-open prairie views. It’s easy to find and feels private the moment you turn in. There’s room for trucks and trailers, quick access to the skeet and 1,000 yard ranges, and a central base for hunt days, town runs, and unrushed evenings under big skies.