Moving to spearfish sd

[Brushcreekbill]

Hey roksliders

I’ll be moving to spearfish SD this fall. My job will have me traveling extensively across Wyoming and western sd. But I’ll be based out of spearfish for at least 3 years. My home base/address is out of spearfish, but I’ll be spending at least half my time on the Wyoming side.
Growing up in the ozarks I’ve only had a handful of elk and bear hunts out west. Idaho mainly.

Not looking for anyone’s secret spots. But just in general what kind of hunting and fishing am I in for? Feel free to pm

 

[TandKHunting]

Hey roksliders

I’ll be moving to spearfish SD this fall. My job will have me traveling extensively across Wyoming and western sd. But I’ll be based out of spearfish for at least 3 years. My home base/address is out of spearfish, but I’ll be spending at least half my time on the Wyoming side.
Growing up in the ozarks I’ve only had a handful of elk and bear hunts out west. Idaho mainly.

Not looking for anyone’s secret spots. But just in general what kind of hunting and fishing am I in for? Feel free to pm

Elk in South Dakota will take a while to draw for both archery and rifle. Most guys don't get a bull tag until 15 - 25 years. There are the unicorns that draw at 4 or 5 years, but that's like winning the lottery. I'm currently at 10 years preference I believe. People do have decent odds of drawing cow tags.

Rifle Whitetail in the Black Hills is pretty easy to draw every few years, as well as rifle antelope. Any deer in the hills takes 5+ years.

Archery tags for any deer and antelope is pretty much over the counter...though it's still a draw. There are talks of limiting resident tags for archery, but I don't think the state has implemented anything yet.

Mountain lion is pretty much over the counter, but you can't use dogs in the Black Hills (except for Custer State Park) which takes a few years to draw.

Big Horn Sheep and Mountain Goat takes 30+ years of preference it seems. I wouldn't even waste your time putting in points for those, unless you like donating money.

As far as fishing, Orman Dam is right in your backyard for Walleye and Muskie. Pactola offers Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout and Northerns. Sheridan Lake offers Rainbows, Perch, Northers, and Bass.

If you fly fish there are tons of creeks through out the hills that hold rainbow, brown, and brook trout.

 

[AHayes111]

If you are going to be traveling all about WY and SD, Spearfish is a nice little town to set up home base, but why not go a few miles farther west and set up home base in WY. If hunting is a big consideration, I would rather have residency in WY than SD.

 

[birdman22]

Hey roksliders

I’ll be moving to spearfish SD this fall. My job will have me traveling extensively across Wyoming and western sd. But I’ll be based out of spearfish for at least 3 years. My home base/address is out of spearfish, but I’ll be spending at least half my time on the Wyoming side.
Growing up in the ozarks I’ve only had a handful of elk and bear hunts out west. Idaho mainly.

Not looking for anyone’s secret spots. But just in general what kind of hunting and fishing am I in for? Feel free to pm

IMO you're moving to the best city in the state. Clean, safe, mild summers and winters, hiking out the back door, skiing a half hour away, plenty of lakes/hikes/attractions within an hour or two.

There are plenty of deer in the Hills, i think you can draw the rifle white tail tag every 3 or 4 years. Archery historically is an automatic tag.

Shotgun turkey is historically an over the counter tag for the entire Black Hills.

Antelope tags for residents are getting harder to come by for residents with the droughts, although numbers seem to be decent. Depending on county, seems like it can take 3 to 5 years.

I don't generally think of the Hills as a fishing destination but it can be decent. Overall, you're moving to the best part of the best state!

 

[Preston]

It's a beautiful area. Great turkey and deer hunting. And good to great fishing at Orman dam or further east of the Missouri River.

 

[TaperPin]

If you don’t fly fish yet, it’s a great time to learn since you’re so close to Wyoming. I don’t know anything about SD. It can be a lot of fun to stop at one of the many small streams out in the sagebrush you’ll be driving across. Some big brown trout come out of 2’ wide streams. A fly rod case that allows everything to be stored ready to go makes life easier for short breaks. There are many spots that are a sure bet in the first 5 minutes if you’re the first person to hit it that day. Some spots are a sure thing the first or second cast. I also keep a stiff ultralight spinning rod setup with a streamer and casting bubble to make a couple casts to certain big rocks in larger rivers and lakes near the highway. In the summer, trout in the high mountain lakes are often crazy about any fly you toss in.

 

[TheViking]

If you are going to be traveling all about WY and SD, Spearfish is a nice little town to set up home base, but why not go a few miles farther west and set up home base in WY. If hunting is a big consideration, I would rather have residency in WY than SD.

100% agree with this. Being a WY resident for hunting tags has HUGE advantages vs being a NR. WY is arguably the best western state to be a resident in hunting tag wise.

New Castle/Sundance area is nice - quiet little towns. Sundance would be a 30 min commute to Spearfish.

 

[mtwarden]

Also you don’t pay ANY state income tax in Wyoming ;D

That being said, Spearfish is a nice town and area.

 

[KurtR]

Also you don’t pay ANY state income tax in Wyoming ;D

That being said, Spearfish is a nice town and area.

No state income tax in South Dakota either.

I do agree big game wise Wyoming is better if you count elk. Birds and fish its better here especially the farther east you get to the river.

 

[mtwarden]

No state income tax in South Dakota either.

I do agree big game wise Wyoming is better if you count elk. Birds and fish its better here especially the farther east you get to the river.

Wow—good for South Dakota (meanwhile Montana taxes the snot out of us, even Social Security )

 

[spur60]

Welcome to SD!
If you play your preference points and second draws/leftovers correctly you should be able to have 1-2+ tags every fall for rifle, but that may mean driving quite a ways to a unit that you drew. Antelope numbers sucks, mule deer numbers suck, whitetail numbers are way down, pheasant numbers are way up, and over here on the east side we chase ducks, geese, and walleyes when we're not too busy driving to the west side to tromp around the public land for deer.

 

[Mish-pop]

In 3 years you should be able to hunt antelope and mule deer once with a rifle. Some units you could maybe draw twice. You could get a late season cow elk tag once with 1 or two preference points. Archery deer you could do yearly. Best fishing is generally Missouri river or NE SD. I don't know much of fishing around the hills.

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

Overall, you're moving to the best part of the best state!

 

[Brushcreekbill]

If you are going to be traveling all about WY and SD, Spearfish is a nice little town to set up home base, but why not go a few miles farther west and set up home base in WY. If hunting is a big consideration, I would rather have residency in WY than SD.

I hear ya.
Fortunately/unfortunately this three year job provides a nice place to stay in Spearfish already.

 

[Brushcreekbill]

In 3 years you should be able to hunt antelope and mule deer once with a rifle. Some units you could maybe draw twice. You could get a late season cow elk tag once with 1 or two preference points. Archery deer you could do yearly. Best fishing is generally Missouri river or NE SD. I don't know much of fishing around the hills.

Cow elk tag in SD or WY with 1 or 2 preference points?

 

[Brushcreekbill]

I would actually be pretty happy just hunting cow elk.

 

[TheViking]

I would actually be pretty happy just hunting cow elk.

There are some good cow elk opportunities in WY on the eastern side. Reduced price cow elk tags are like $300, not bad at all.

Shoot me a PM if you want, I can help you out a little with some areas.

Oh, and I would absolutely start building preference points in WY (among other western states) ASAP if you haven't already.

 

[Mish-pop]

Cow elk tag in SD or WY with 1 or 2 preference points?

SD. Shoot me a PM if you want

 

[Brushcreekbill]

I appreciate the input folks!

 

[wyosteve]

Wow—good for South Dakota (meanwhile Montana taxes the snot out of us, even Social Security )

That's why we sold our property at Ft. Peck. Can make a lot of trips on what MT. taxes would have taken!