South Dakota Bison

[robie]

Luck is with me this year. I drew a SD non-trophy bull bison tag. I know its more of a harvesting than a hunt but I'm looking forward to it.

Anyone on here had that tag before?

Its a weekday only hunt so I'm working on logistics coming up from Houston.

Either fly up and rent a truck to drive home or fly both ways and have the taxi/processor ship the goods to me. Last resort is driving both ways.

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

Cool tag to have in hand. I'd love to do a bison hunt. Great meat and an awesome looking euro skull. I've got a Safari Express in .375 H&H that I bought for bison.

I'd drive both ways. Bring it all back in one shot, and don't risk shipping, planes being delayed, or an airline losing a gun (which has happened to me). But I love the road and time off for me is pretty easy. I hate planes. And don't trust any shipper, especially with time sensitive packages, like meat.

 

[robie]

Driving both ways would be ideal but not sure I will have the vacation for it this year.

 

[sodak]

I'm familiar with the hunt and that tag, but I've never had the tag myself.

Rapid City regional (RAP) airport is pretty familiar with firearms going through when done according to TSA regulations.

Shipping meat home is also pretty straightforward. With this hunt you may have the option to sell the meat to a local processor (check with your contact for details). That same processor does ship meat across the country, so having them ship meat to your house is not a real issue.


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[robie]

I'm familiar with the hunt and that tag, but I've never had the tag myself.

Rapid City regional (RAP) airport is pretty familiar with firearms going through when done according to TSA regulations.

Shipping meat home is also pretty straightforward. With this hunt you may have the option to sell the meat to a local processor (check with your contact for details). That same processor does ship meat across the country, so having them ship meat to your house is not a real issue.


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Thank you for the info. They will send out the details about the processor/taxi they recommend next week.

Have you ever used the processor they recommend?

This may be my only option depending on how quickly I'm done with my other hunts. I just need one more week of vacation to make it all work.

 

[sodak]

Pm sent


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[robie]

A follow up on my hunt.

I enjoyed the countryside and the wildlife in the park was outstanding. One the drive out I was able to photograph: Elk, Buffalo, Antelope, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer & Turkey.

I was fortunate it began to snow two days before I arrived and snowed until after I left. Hunting these majestic black/brown animals against the white snow made for images out of a magazine. I was able to just watch them move thru the snow for sometime before taking my buffalo.

The price jumped about $1k this year and of course I asked why. I feel SD sets the price of the hunt the fairest way possible, it is set by the market. The age and size buffalo I harvested was sold at auction earlier in 2017 for $3300 and that was the price of the hunt. For the park they are essentially loosing/breaking even on the hunt to offer this opportunity, when they sell at auction they load them on a truck and off they go. The ranger that helped me spent 5+ hours with me that day from picking me up to helping me get it cleaned.

For those wanting a wild adventure this is not your hunt. The buffalo are free ranging and can leave the park if they decide to move through the fences they have. What makes this hunt doable in a half day is the fact that you have a wrangler showing you around the park and he has a good idea of where the 2.5 year old bulls might be. If they gave you a map and told you what you could shoot this might take you 3 days to find them and get it done.

I enjoyed the experience but the total hunt was about an hour because the buffalo were in the first place we looked. I talked to another guy that took them several hours to locate the bulls.

 

[boom]

damn. how much meat do you end up with? you get to sit down with the butcher and order up the cuts?

great pics..thanks for sharing.

(you keep the heart, tongue, etc?)

 

[Gutshotem]

Very cool. What weapon did you use for the hunt?
Also, what's a ballpark out of pocket after processin/hidden extras if you don't mind me asking?

 

[robie]

damn. how much meat do you end up with? you get to sit down with the butcher and order up the cuts?

great pics..thanks for sharing.

(you keep the heart, tongue, etc?)

Roughly 300 pounds. I did the butchering myself.

I kept heart, tongue & liver.

 

[robie]

Very cool. What weapon did you use for the hunt?
Also, what's a ballpark out of pocket after processin/hidden extras if you don't mind me asking?

I was planning on using my muzzleloader but I flew up there and drove home and couldn't find any BH209 so I took my 30-06.

I did all the processing so not sure what that would run. For me it was flight, car rental, 1 hotel night and 3 120qt ice chest purchased.

I was around the $4k mark. I could have stayed in Texas and shot a high fence one for less I'm sure, but just wasn't interested in that route.

 

[skyleralan]

I'm in Iowa, the cost makes me shudder a little, but that would be an awesome bucket list hunt. I would love to do something with the hide and off course a good head or euro mount.

 

[Gznokes]

Very interesting peak inside this hunt. Looks like a beautiful bull.

 

[robie]

I'm in Iowa, the cost makes me shudder a little, but that would be an awesome bucket list hunt. I would love to do something with the hide and off course a good head or euro mount.

I'm not real big on shoulder mounts and told my wife I was going to do a euro mount and tan the hide as a rug. Only time I've ever looked at animal and wanted to keep looking at it like that. I called her when it was on the ground and talked about a shoulder mount, she said go for it. The color variations in the hide are stunning, I would call it subtle beauty. I used to be a big waterfowl hunter and this is akin to a mottled duck where a elk is more a wood duck in my opinion. I love both but just something about this buffalo I had to have.

I still want a euro and a hide so maybe I'll try to go back someday. Lots of other hunts to do along the way.

 

[robie]

Very interesting peak inside this hunt. Looks like a beautiful bull.

Not sure I follow on the comment about the peak.

Thank you!

 

[Akicita]

Not sure I follow on the comment about the peak.

Thank you!

I think he meant "peek"

 

[robie]

I think he meant "peek"

Wow, can't believe I missed that. I was looking for an interesting mountain peak in one of my photos.

Sorry Gznokes wasn't being grammar police just very literal.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Three educated pieces of advice.
Age the meat for as long as possible, weeks!
Shoulder mounts need big walls and stick out nearly 4'. (I have 2)
Euro mounts can weigh over 20lbs to don't mount anywhere people might hang out beneath em, use big bolts in a stud.

 

[robie]

Three educated pieces of advice.
Age the meat for as long as possible, weeks!
Shoulder mounts need big walls and stick out nearly 4'. (I have 2)
Euro mounts can weigh over 20lbs to don't mount anywhere people might hang out beneath em, use big bolts in a stud.

Thanks Bruce. Didn't have the option to age the meat. I've got a couple options for the shoulder mount. It may end up high on a wall but i would like to leave it somewhere i can enjoy it more.

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