http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/docs/huntinghandbook.pdf
Artificial Light
During the time from sunset to sunrise, no person may use or possess night-vision equipment or throw or cast the rays of a spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light on any highway, or in any field, pasture, woodland, forest, or prairie, for the purpose of spotting, locating, or taking or attempting to take or hunt any animal while having in possession or control any firearm, bow or other implement
whereby any game could be killed. However:
• A person may use a hand held light while on foot, to take raccoons after they have been treed by dogs;
• A landowner or occupant and no more than two guests accompanied by the landowner or occupant may use an artificial light and night vision equipment on the owner’s or occupant’s land, with a shotgun using shot shells only or a firearm using a rimfire cartridge in the taking of jackrabbits, coyotes, beaver during its hunting season, foxes, raccoons, opossums, badgers, skunks, or rodents; and
• A landowner or occupant, eighteen years of age or older, and no more than two guests accompanied by the landowner or occupant
may use night vision equipment on the owner’s or occupant’s land, a firearm using a cartridge with a bullet diameter below .225 inches, in the taking of jackrabbits, coyotes, beaver during its hunting season, foxes, raccoons, opossums, badgers, skunks, or rodents; and
• Recreational Artificial Light Law: To minimize disturbance to wildlife and rural residents, state law prohibits a person from using an artificial light other than headlights to spot or locate any wild animal between the hours of 10 p.m. and sunrise from Sept. 1 to Jan. 31. During this time frame, a person who has no weapons in possession may only use their vehicle headlights to spot or locate wild animals. Hand-held spotlights and other lights otherwise attached to the vehicle are not legal. The three exceptions to this law are the same as those found under “Artificial Light” above.
For the purposes of this section, night-vision equipment is an optical device utilizing light amplifying circuits that are electrical or battery
powered.