Looking at attempting to get a Deer tag for Gun season in the Black hills of SD. Never been out west hunting so it'll be a learning trip as well. Been getting conflicting Weather reports for average weather in November. Some have said we will be in snow up to our knees and some have said it will be a lot milder. Hoping to hunt around the Deerfield Lake area. Any and all tips or advice is welcome and greatly appreciated.
South Dakota Black Hills Deer hunt
- Thread starter William Leroy Sykes
- Start date
I used to hunt in the black hills every year with my brother and dad and some buddies. The weather reports your getting are right on! I remember taking my shirt off and getting sunburned while taking a midday nap and I remember being afraid that my eyes would freeze one night because they were the only thing sticking out of my sleeping bag after the fire went out in the tent! That's part of the fun, you never know what you might get.
Lol thats what I was thinking. How bad is the terrain? I've hunted the Appalachian mountains here in NC. Was thinking of hiking them as training for out west.
rcfireninja
Active Member
Usually takes residents 1-2 years of preference points to draw a whitetail tag. Mule deer tags for the hills is almost non existent since they only give out 100. Terrain can be anywhere from3-6500 feet. There are very good trail systems to use. If you get on google earth and find open meadows that you can see from any trail that's where the does will be with the bucks checking them out in November for the rut. Rattling works well from about the 12-25. If you need any more help message me.
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highplainsdrifter
Very Active Member
I have been hunting whitetails in the Black Hills of Wyoming for 30 years...just across the border from where you plan to hunt. Weather has ranged from -20 with wind to 80+. In 2000, we had four feet of snow on the ground. Many years, there is no snow. You just don't know. The earlier in November you go, the better the chance the weather will be "reasonable".
Thanks man, I've been looking at the draw statistics for non-residents and from what ive seen you can get a any deer tag with just one preference point. Now I could have misunderstood what I was reading, still trying to get used to the draw systems out west. NC everything is otc.
Horsenhike
Very Active Member
SD has a less than ideal draw statistics page. It shows zero, more than one, or more than two, not the specific numbers of points it took to draw a tag. Lame. You have no idea if a tag will take 3 or 5 points. They release so little information that it is almost useless.
Our plan is to apply for the unit we want in South Dakota, and hunt out of state until we draw that. As we learn the areas we hunt out of state we are hesitant to leave them whether it costs us more money or not. Limited time. I know more people who don't draw tags than do, and none who can figure out whether they will or not. Me included. My wife and I have 3 pp for West River deer. We will apply for one of the NW counties. No idea whether we will draw or not because there is no data we can access that shows us that.
Rant over.
Our plan is to apply for the unit we want in South Dakota, and hunt out of state until we draw that. As we learn the areas we hunt out of state we are hesitant to leave them whether it costs us more money or not. Limited time. I know more people who don't draw tags than do, and none who can figure out whether they will or not. Me included. My wife and I have 3 pp for West River deer. We will apply for one of the NW counties. No idea whether we will draw or not because there is no data we can access that shows us that.
Rant over.
Ok I see what you are saying now. Is all the rifle tags in the black hills draw or is there any otc? Like I said Im still learning the draw systems. In NC every year I get four buck tags two doe tags with the option to buy more doe tags, a bear tag and two turkey tags. Only Swan and Special state lands are draw here and very few people go through the trouble to try and get a permit to hunt there.
rcfireninja
Active Member
No otc rifle tags in South Dakota. Archery is over the counter though.
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fackelberry
Active Member
I live in Wyoming but i hunt the BlackHills on the South Dakota side almost every year because my dad lives in Sturgis. Not far from Deerfield. It usually takes me 2 years as a non-resident to draw the Whitetail only tag. There is alot of forest service roads and the Hills are mostly public. The last 2 bucks i killed over there were nice bucks. my dad grew up hunting them hills so he knows it well, think he has hunted them for over 50 years, i personally have been with him since i was 12 so i have about 20 sum odd years myself over there. It is night and day difference between the Wyoming side and South Dakota side for deer numbers and hunter pressure. The Wyoming side has alot of hunter pressure because its a general tag and any one that didnt get a deer in another general area flock over there to hunt in November so they dont eat a tag. Whereas the South Dakota side is a draw area so only a limited number of hunters can hunt. Plus there is way more land to hunt on South Dakota side. I love hunting over there its a good relaxing hunt.