South Dakota mule deer

[spur60]

It's all about perception. Non resident archery license sales have doubled since 2014, and perhaps by coincidence, both mule deer buck and doe archery harvests have doubled since 2014; even though mule deer numbers have declined. So, for many, the scapegoat is NR archery hunters, easiest to blame, easiest to push reg changes against. But anybody who understands SD's season structures, current deer numbers, etc. understands that NR pressure is just a symptom of a larger more complex issue. One thing I will say is that I honestly believe that many in the GFP had no clue how many deer fell to winterkill in 22.

 

[jmez]

Most public areas in the central and eastern part of the states have food plots. Not walk in areas. Seems the food plots stop at the range of pheasants.

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[Andrew12gauge]

Your first suggestion was to make NR archery a draw which it already is... Then suggested increasing prices on non resident tags. I never said that you thought nr shouldn't hunt, but your persistence in bringing up residency indicates you somehow think that is part of the solution (it isn't).

I rarely look at tag cost as it doesn't really matter to me either way but I quickly pulled up non resident license cost for the surrounding states. What makes you think SD is so low? Doesn't seem all that out of line to me. And that's just the surrounding states. Looking through others in the nation there are a LOT that are cheaper.
SD $375
MN $185
IA $349
NE $750
WY $374
MT $372-744
ND $250

Nonresident tags are $286 unless they’re going up in 2025


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[TheYukiYama]

Nonresident tags are $286 unless they’re going up in 2025


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It is already 2025. I posted current prices for all states.

License Types & Costs

gfp.sd.gov

The drop down 'big game fees' has the prices

 

[Andrew12gauge]

It is already 2025. I posted current prices for all states.

License Types & Costs

gfp.sd.gov

The drop down 'big game fees' has the prices

Ok yep, I had heard that they were raising their prices, my deer tag this past year was $286 so that $375 is the new price effective this year.


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[Glimmerman151]

Yeah, I have a pic of a really nice buck standing in downtown Hot Springs. They are where you find them for sure.

Town bucks all across the US get big, frustrating for us hunters for sure

 

[ChadmanS44]

Drew South Dakota archery deer for the first time. Have somewhat of a plan. Hunt a lot of whitetail here in Illinois so would love to get on some Muleys but if I come across a decent whitetail I’ll take it. Anyone have any kind of direction for areas to start with? Just curious if I’m heading the right direction planning this trip

 

[krent12]

Drew South Dakota archery deer for the first time. Have somewhat of a plan. Hunt a lot of whitetail here in Illinois so would love to get on some Muleys but if I come across a decent whitetail I’ll take it. Anyone have any kind of direction for areas to start with? Just curious if I’m heading the right direction planning this trip

They won’t allow people to post spots on here. A+ effort. west of the Missouri River somewhere

 

[ChadmanS44]

They won’t allow people to post spots on here. A+ effort. west of the Missouri River somewhere

Ya I wasn looking for a spot at all. Was asking about regions and your reply is exactly what I was asking

 

[KurtR]

If we dont get any rain going to make a real interesting year. Ehd could be real bad

 

[Beagle001]

If we dont get any rain going to make a real interesting year. Ehd could be real bad

How was the winter out there? I was watching the Snow Water Equivalent for The Hills and looked like it was pretty light. Hopefully more rain than last year! That was the driest I’ve seen SD

 

[ChadmanS44]

Ya I wasn looking for a spot at all. Was asking about regions and your reply is exactly what I was asking

I meant direction as in lane of focus or

If we dont get any rain going to make a real interesting year. Ehd could be real bad

damn it’s been raining here it feels like 5 out of ever 7 days the last 2 months

 

[ChadmanS44]

There's always been fewer mule deer east river.
In 2023, there were ~30k resident archery tags and ~5k NR.
There were over 10k antlerless tags sold for youth/mentored
50k resident general rifle tags (ER and WR). 2k NR

25% success with archery: 8,500 deer 6000 bucks 200 does
45% success youth/mentored antlerless: 4,500 does.
45% success rifle: 24,000 deer 16000 bucks and 8000 does

My extended family (second cosuins) have around 12k acres in NW SD and have reported that deer numbers are fine. My trail cameras on my parents land (much smaller and borders public) have captured more deer than any other time in the last decade. (perhaps they've been placed a bit better?)

Seems hard to believe that deer numbers are sooo bad now that your dad and father in law say it is worse than back when it was a big deal to even kill a deer? How can that be when it isn't that hard to kill deer now? Must be better now..

I'm curious if you believe anecdotes. In one sentence you say 'random people say its good' as if to discredit them, but then use random 'farmers and ranchers' to say its bad. So which is it, are anecdotes reliable or not? Because I know many ranchers that say deer numbers are fine.

If you want more deer, the actual numbers would indicate to stop antlerless hunts and reduce resident rifle tags. The 2,000 deer (majority bucks) that nonresidents kill are not going to make a significant change to population levels. This is just a fact.
You suggest making NR archery a draw, but it already is a draw? So what are you even suggesting? Did you not know that NR archery was a draw?
Do you have any actual evidence to support this doomsday? I would honestly love to hear it. I think there are areas where deer numbers are down. I think there should be some rule changes to improve deer numbers. I absolutely do not support making decision based off of anecdotes and proposing rule changes that are not supported with data.

Reading through the thread. I feel like every single year is “the worst year anyone can remember” in every state! I live in Illinois and you want to talk about NR flooding public land, it gets crazy here. I typically only hunt public here during gun season for that reason. Everything I’ve read does point to numbers being down in SD especially Muleys. What it doesn’t point to is hunting being the reason. Seems to be more EHD and climate driving that the last few years. Anyway my point was every state is “declining and needs to shut down NR hunters” lol. I get it though because we’re strictly OTC here and it’s heavily trafficked. I think the wildest trend I’m seeing on this thread is so many people wanting to shorten the season. That’s just something I’ve personally never seen people calling for. MO season is longer and heavily hunted (obviously may have higher numbers of herds). IL we wish theyed open an early velvet season and move our gun season out of the rut. I’ve just not seen so many people advocating for less time

 

[KurtR]

How was the winter out there? I was watching the Snow Water Equivalent for The Hills and looked like it was pretty light. Hopefully more rain than last year! That was the driest I’ve seen SD

There was no winter. We moved snow one time. It’s not 2002 dry yet but unless we get some significant moisture it’s going get there. Most small wetlands are bone dry and a couple big ones are just a puddle. They have been busy putting out grass fires. I was hoping for a winter with lots of snow not so good for deer but great for ducks and geese.

 

[KurtR]

I meant direction as in lane of focus or

damn it’s been raining here it feels like 5 out of ever 7 days the last 2 months

Send it this way been in a burn ban since beginning of march here.

 

[ChadmanS44]

Send it this way been in a burn ban since beginning of march here.

That’s a shame man. Hate to hear that for any region. We have the opposite issue in the STL region. We get so much rain and such low elevation everything floods and holds water like crazy!

 

[Fatcamp]

Getting rain today.

 

[KurtR]

Getting rain today.

We got a few sprinkles up here in the desert

 

[Fatcamp]

We got a few sprinkles up here in the desert

That sucks. I was watching the radar and hopeful for you. SE is better, green grass and some water in the sloughs, but we don't grow mule deer.

 

[KurtR]

That sucks. I was watching the radar and hopeful for you. SE is better, green grass and some water in the sloughs, but we don't grow mule deer.

Monday looks like a good chance