South Dakota mule deer

[Wireman07]

Has anyone had any luck bow hunting mule deer around the shade hill area south of Lemmon the last couple years? I've put on alot of miles and seems like there's not as many deer as there used to be.

 

[MN-Land of Does]

I've rifle hunted the Standing Rock off and on the last few years and from 10 years ago, yes I think there are less mulies. But recently it seems to be hit or miss. I'm only there for a few days so I don't how much hunting pressure and such push them to private land. I have seen some really nice whitetails!

 

[KurtR]

Way less deer and they are finally taking mule deer’s does off the youth tag. There is not that much pressure. With the the east winters we have had the last 4 years should be an explosion of deer but it’s just not happening. Ehd has hit hard in some of those areas and blue tongue. First year I hunted around shade hill was 2005 a bad winter a few years latter and disease you went from seeing hundred deer a day to lucky to see 100 in a week of hard hunting. Then mature 150 whitetail or 170 mule deer became almost non existent. A lot of dead deer found this spring from the river west. Now with the drought starting I hope ehd doesn’t really wipe them out

and standing rocks management or miss management doesn’t help anything either.

 

[Swampcruiser]

Found quite a few EHD deadheads