OTC SD archery hunt?

[TurboCowboy]

Hey guys, I'm new on here. Just survived cancer this year and now I'm wanting to start attempting some of the adventures I lay in bed at night and dream about. I'm wanting to do an archery hunt next season(fall '17). I'm not very familiar with the tag drawing process in any of the mule deer states but from the research I have done my best bet to ensure a hunt is an OTC tag. I'm not hung up on SD that was just the easiest info to come across online. Not interested in a big deer just wanted to get an opportunity on this first trip. Any advice on a better plan than the OTC route or what areas of SD have the best chance at a shot(not trying to steal anyone's spot ) I appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance

 

[Alabama]

Welcome to the forum. I'm not sure about available public land in SD but they definitely offer OTC archery tags. Nebraska, Texas and Idaho also offer OTC tags. The general deer tags in Montana have been 100% draw the last few years and there is ample public ground to hunt. There are archery tags in Colorado than can be drawn with 0 points. Some of the general region hunts in WY can be drawn with 0 points. Plenty of options to choose from. I would lean towards Colorado or Montana because of so much public land available to hunt.

Good luck!

 

[Tim McCoy]

SD has some very nice MD. The challenge is lack of public land, under 10% is public iirc. The state does offer quite a bit of private land they open up to the public, walk in areas etc. There are also a number of large reservations with their own hunting programs. It takes some work to sleuth out decent spots, but it can be done. I've taken some very nice MD and WT there over the years. Have not hunted there in 4-5 years as we found an affordable trespass fee hunt in MT.

For someone new to western hunting, I think there are better states than SD to begin with, as Alabama suggested, unless you have help in SD. MT, for example, has quite a bit of public land, especially on the western half, but deer tags are over $600. That said, it has great opportunities to hunt private through the BMA program. So it's a good choice. CO is MD ground zero, lots of opportunity and the possibility to find some larger bucks, on average, than most of MT has. Cheaper deer tags too. ID could meet your goals, last I looked it was cheaper than MT and more than CO, but been a while since I compared them. I don't know a thing about TX/NE.

A lot of the states now have on-line hunt planners, check on a few of those and it can help firm up plans. Good luck.

 

[DualResident]

SD has some good public land hunting opportunities but it takes a while to find areas with mule deer. The Black Hills is full of public land but glassing opportunities are limited. My experience with the hills is that whitetails are much more common than mule deer. My suggestion to you would be to focus on the walk in areas and grasslands. I would also pick up a over the counter antelope tag to increase your odds of getting into animals. If you put enough miles on you will get into deer. PM me if you have any more specific questions.

 

[buckbull]

Pretty sure you have to take an archery hunter safety class in order to get a permit unless you have taken a similar class in your home state. Just need to check it out. Would be bad to show up to buy an OTC and find out you can't get it.

 

[DualResident]

You do not need to take an archery hunter safety class if you had a archery tag in any state the previous year. Also the tags are not OTC. You purchase them (apply) online and they will send you your tag.