South Dakota DIY

[Gun&BowSD]

LOL. The people who are upset about not drawing a Mt. Goat tag need a meme. Same with sheep and Custer elk.

No understanding of math. At all.

How anyone could possibly get upset is beyond me. 2 tags, 10,000+ people. Probably get struck by lightning twice before you drew

 

[Fatcamp]

I have no idea. Even after I explain it to them. "Didn't draw again with 25 points. What a scam!"

 

[jymarine24]

Going on a trip to western South Dakota for archery mule deer! Go to Custer area or band lands? Out there for 4 days anything helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Can be very challenging and rewarding. Practice shooting long distances and that will improve your odds

 

[Fatcamp]

Wow! Back from the dead. 4 months away for residents.

 

[Lawnboi]

Didn’t they change it again, non res can hunt public starting sept but had to buy a tag by April 1 I believe.
Another year, another change. Just need a little consistency from South Dakota.

 

[Fatcamp]

Didn’t they change it again, non res can hunt public starting sept but had to buy a tag by April 1 I believe.
Another year, another change. Just need a little consistency from South Dakota.

I thought you had to buy a tag by April 11 to hunt public land but still had to wait until October 1st to hunt it. ????? Granted, I don't pay much attention to it. Way more land to hunt than people, especially in Thecountywhichshallnotbenamed! County.

 

[Lawnboi]

I thought you had to buy a tag by April 11 to hunt public land but still had to wait until October 1st to hunt it. ????? Granted, I don't pay much attention to it. Way more land to hunt than people, especially in Thecountywhichshallnotbenamed! County.

I couldn’t say for sure as I don’t plan to hunt there this year, but that was my understanding from the letter I got on it.
I guess I just wish SD would get there act together and come up with a plan to manage their tags rather than the seat of the pants changes made in the last few years.

One day I’ll be back. Until then I’ll keep on driving to Montana.

I like South Dakota. Would happily relocate there if I could replicate the job I have here without a ton of work.

Oh yea, the countywhichshallnotbenamed. Tough to get away from people out there.....

 

[OFFHNTN]

Yes, NR's have to wait until October 1st to hunt........UNLESS you hunt on private ground. These past 2 years has been the biggest cluster buck with the G&F and trying to talk to someone who knows the rules and draw process.

 

[IAMike304]

I received my NR archery tag in the mail a few days ago. First mule deer hunt, going solo in November(10 days before rifle season).

Just looking at here, and all the other forums, I purposely chose not to go to countywhichshallnotbenamed. I would rather seek out other areas, and hopefully finding some deer. If I dont, ill keep trying. I have been communicating by phone with a member from here about his experience in areas to hunt. I have a couple spots I have focused in on, now I just need to learn how to read the land and hunt Mule deer. Ive spoken to biologists and game wardens, been on google earth daily for 6 months. I will be out in August for a weekend scouting trip(Only approx 8 hour drive from here in Iowa).

Ive spent time in SD bird hunting, and have friends in Rapid. Thought I might as well get my feet wet with Mule deer, and get out of an Iowa treestand for a bit.

 

[bjfoxhoven]

I don't give out information on my areas I hunt specifically but more a region or county basis, for instance if some one wanted to hunt the badlands areas with lots of washouts. I wouldn't give them coordinates, but if they want to know how to best find deer in that terrain, why shouldn't I tell them? Odds are they aren't even remotely close to the areas I hunt anyway, and maybe my tip is the difference between them finding their deer and not. I'd rather be helpful. As far as people telling everyone to go hunt in the area that got blocked off with the access permit, I think there's better areas in the state that you don't need the permit for. People just don't like change. I just try and have enough places I know where to find deer that it doesn't matter if one of my spots blows up with pressure or any other reason deer would leave an area.


View attachment 125145

These deer might disagree. They are east river (technically in the river, wonder the legality of that one lol), on public ground. There are certainly higher numbers further west river, and certainly more on public ground, but they can be found in many places throughout the western 2/3 of the state.

Also, sorry OP that we have absolutely high-jacked your thread. If you have any questions post them up, I will help if I can!

I know this is an old comment...but I’ve seen Mule deer a half hour from SF. Obviously not the norm but they occasionally wander over. I’m just never lucky enough to have one bigger than a forky wander by my stand lol.

 

[bjfoxhoven]

How Far East has everyone hear seen muleys?

 

[Fatcamp]

The river.

 

[WCB]

I used to guide Pheasant hunts 15min or so west of the Brookings area...saw a couple Mule Deer around there one year. Suprise the crap out of my when they jumped up. But realistically basically anywhere on either side of the river

 

[ttltown]

Huron


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KurtR]

Roberts county

 

[bjfoxhoven]

I’ve also seen some in Yankton county (a few) several times, and across the river in Nebraska from there also.

 

[huntngolf]

I received my NR archery tag in the mail a few days ago. First mule deer hunt, going solo in November(10 days before rifle season).

Just looking at here, and all the other forums, I purposely chose not to go to countywhichshallnotbenamed. I would rather seek out other areas, and hopefully finding some deer. If I dont, ill keep trying. I have been communicating by phone with a member from here about his experience in areas to hunt. I have a couple spots I have focused in on, now I just need to learn how to read the land and hunt Mule deer. Ive spoken to biologists and game wardens, been on google earth daily for 6 months. I will be out in August for a weekend scouting trip(Only approx 8 hour drive from here in Iowa).

Ive spent time in SD bird hunting, and have friends in Rapid. Thought I might as well get my feet wet with Mule deer, and get out of an Iowa treestand for a bit.

Sounds like a very solid plan. The small overlooked areas are honestly usually the best. Google earth is a great tool but don’t write off an area just because of what it looks like on that. The area I hunt in western S.D. looks pretty mundane on google earth and it is anything but in person.

 

[Fatcamp]

Sounds like a very solid plan. The small overlooked areas are honestly usually the best. Google earth is a great tool but don’t write off an area just because of what it looks like on that. The area I hunt in western S.D. looks pretty mundane on google earth and it is anything but in person.

Yup. Lots of rough country out there.

 

[IAMike304]

Sounds like a very solid plan. The small overlooked areas are honestly usually the best. Google earth is a great tool but don’t write off an area just because of what it looks like on that. The area I hunt in western S.D. looks pretty mundane on google earth and it is anything but in person.

Thats kind fo what I am thinking. I have several areas in mind to check out. Im guessing it will be a sh** show, being its my first time mule deer hunting and im going alone, but Gotta learn somehow.