South Dakota Black Hills

[barrettm95]

Draw is posted.

Looks like I’ll be in the black hills this fall. Excited to have a low stress hunt. Any advice outside of try to get there during the prime rut dates?

 

[mikkel318]

Good Luck Man! My Dad drew the tag for this fall too. My brothers struck out applying with 7 points. That was a surprise.

We've always had success covering a lot of country during the second half of the month. I like to hike, but we've spotted and killed most of our bucks from the road system.

 

[barrettm95]

Good Luck Man! My Dad drew the tag for this fall too. My brothers struck out applying with 7 points. That was a surprise.

We've always had success covering a lot of country during the second half of the month. I like to hike, but we've spotted and killed most of our bucks from the road system.

Took me 7 points to draw which was surprising for me; I expected to get in a few years ago. I tend to be the guy that tries to go as far from roads etc. but may change up my style this trip and run the road systems with a side by side where I can to cover a lot of ground. Would be happy with any mature whitetail.

 

[cnelk]

Draw results already?

 

[mikkel318]

The app closed at 8 am on the 17th and all of my relatives and friends had emails by 5 pm. Absolutely wild. The past few years, results have been ready about the 4th of July.

My first reaction was that it was an error.

 

[WCB]

The app closed at 8 am on the 17th and all of my relatives and friends had emails by 5 pm. Absolutely wild. The past few years, results have been ready about the 4th of July.

My first reaction was that it was an error.

This should be the norm...there is zero reason it takes weeks or months to do a drawing when they are essentially 100% electronic now.

 

[KHNC]

I will be hunting private ground in Gregory county for archery. Going first week of Sept at the opener. Anyone know much about how the WT population is around there now? I have not seen any negative stuff about EHD or winterkill on WT last couple years. First time hunting near the river for me. DIY but on private.

 

[spur60]

I will be hunting private ground in Gregory county for archery. Going first week of Sept at the opener. Anyone know much about how the WT population is around there now? I have not seen any negative stuff about EHD or winterkill on WT last couple years. First time hunting near the river for me. DIY but on private.

In 2024 there were 3,950 total tags available for rifle season in Gregory County not counting special buck or landowner. In 2025 there is 1,188 tags. Gives you some indication of the deer population...

Gregory is one of the hardest hunted counties in the state.

 

[Dukhtr3]

The app closed at 8 am on the 17th and all of my relatives and friends had emails by 5 pm. Absolutely wild. The past few years, results have been ready about the 4th of July.

My first reaction was that it was an error.

Are they hunting east river or west? I haven't seen my results and I can't find them on the website either.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[kopmantrey]

.

 

[mikkel318]

We only applied for the Black Hills this year, but the West River, East River, and Antelope are not up on the website yet.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[kopmantrey]

I will be hunting private ground in Gregory county for archery. Going first week of Sept at the opener. Anyone know much about how the WT population is around there now? I have not seen any negative stuff about EHD or winterkill on WT last couple years. First time hunting near the river for me. DIY but on private.

There is still deer there but numbers are terrible compared to what I've seen in the past. I expect it will bounce back fine if we get a break from disease and with the recent tag cuts.

 

[FranklinBluth]

Saw plenty of deer last fall (3rd week of October) on a family trip to the hills. Even had 3 8 pointers below our deck the first night in the central hills. There are some past threads with good advice on finding them - just start by scouting where they're feeding and go from there.

 

[KHNC]

In 2024 there were 3,950 total tags available for rifle season in Gregory County not counting special buck or landowner. In 2025 there is 1,188 tags. Gives you some indication of the deer population...

Gregory is one of the hardest hunted counties in the state.

How about you post the actual link to that info? I dont see anything that even Closely resembles any tag reduction like that .

 

[mitchellmountain]

My son and I drew whitetail tags. It is literally the first limited entry tag we have ever drawn, to say I am excited is an understatement.

 

[KHNC]

In 2024 there were 3,950 total tags available for rifle season in Gregory County not counting special buck or landowner. In 2025 there is 1,188 tags. Gives you some indication of the deer population...

Gregory is one of the hardest hunted counties in the state.

In Gregory County, South Dakota, during the West River deer hunting season, the number of whitetail deer rifle tags available is determined by the specific hunt unit and whether the applicant is a resident or nonresident. For the "Special Buck" application, there are 500 resident and 500 nonresident "any whitetail deer" licenses available.
2024 that number is 450 for each. Did you just make shit up to post?

 

[KurtR]

How about you post the actual link to that info? I dont see anything that even Closely resembles any tag reduction like that .

https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/docs/2025deer.pdf

https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/docs/2024deer.pdf

His numbers look about right they got rid of the double tags they got rid of the double doe tags on public land and got rid of the double doe tag and only a single tag. So when you run all numbers its right there.

If you go just straight tag numbers it would not look like that much but you have to account for all the double tags being taken away.

Good luck with the hunt. Deer numbers are bad in my areas i hunt so just put in for points this year.

You added about the special buck while i was posting thats for all of west river so not really county specific

its easier to read from the links i posted

2024

WRD-30A- GREGORY CO. Season Dates: Nov. 9-12 and Nov. 25-Dec. 1.01: Valid for one Any Deer25 resident licenses ($40); 2 nonresident licenses ($286)18: Valid for one Any Whitetail and one Antlerless Whitetail600 resident licenses ($50); 48 nonresident licenses ($336)19: Valid for two Antlerless Whitetail200 resident licenses ($30); 16 nonresident licenses ($120)19P: Valid for two Antlerless Whitetail, valid on private land only100 resident licenses ($30); 8 nonresident licenses ($120)WRD-30B- GREGORY CO. Season Dates: Nov. 16-Dec. 1.01: Valid for one Any Deer25 resident licenses ($40); 2 nonresident licenses ($286)18: Valid for one Any Whitetail and one Antlerless Whitetail600 resident licenses ($50); 48 nonresident licenses ($336)19: Valid for two Antlerless Whitetail200 resident licenses ($30); 16 nonresident licenses ($120)19P: Valid for two Antlerless Whitetail, valid on private land only100 resident licenses ($30); 8 nonresident licenses ($120)


2025

WRD-30A- GREGORY CO. Season Dates: Nov. 8–11 and Nov. 24–30.11: Valid for one Any Whitetail450 resident licenses ($45); 36 nonresident licenses ($375)13P: Valid for one Antlerless Whitetail, valid on private land only100 resident licenses ($24); 8 nonresident licenses ($100)WRD-30B- GREGORY CO. Season Dates: Nov. 15–30.11: Valid for one Any Whitetail450 resident licenses ($45); 36 nonresident licenses ($375)13P: Valid for one Antlerless Whitetail, valid on private land only100 resident licenses ($24); 8 nonresident licenses ($10

 

[spur60]

Did you just make shit up to post?

Airball.

 

[mitchellmountain]

For those of you that have done this hunt before, any words of advice for finding likely terrain that holds deer? I hunt whitetail entirely out east, and the environment is pretty different and outside my base of experience.

 

[mikkel318]

They are pretty well distributed across the landscape whether its the thick pines, or even in the neighborhoods. One of the bigger bucks I have seen out there was making a rub on the landscaping plants as we drove out of our driveway in the dark.

I asked my friend out there why the deer don't grow very big bodies and his quote was "You wouldn't be very big if you ate dry grass all year too".