South Dakota Deer Draw

Lytro

WKR
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
Messages
522
Clay/Non-landowner. I burned 3 points and she drew it again with 0 points. My wife's parents and brother own and lease a few thousand acres out there for farming. Deer densities are pretty low, but there always seems to be a handful of deer in tree groves and marshes at each property.
 

KurtR

WKR
Joined
Sep 11, 2015
Messages
3,572
Location
South Dakota
Clay/Non-landowner. I burned 3 points and she drew it again with 0 points. My wife's parents and brother own and lease a few thousand acres out there for farming. Deer densities are pretty low, but there always seems to be a handful of deer in tree groves and marshes at each property.
Are there mule deer there? Its odd they offer any deer tags in roberts and counties that have about a 0.1% chance of ever seeing one. I figure it will take 8 plus to draw my walworth any deer tag.
 

Lytro

WKR
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
Messages
522
Are there mule deer there? Its odd they offer any deer tags in roberts and counties that have about a 0.1% chance of ever seeing one. I figure it will take 8 plus to draw my walworth any deer tag.
They're pretty uncommon, but I guess they probably migrate along the river from time to time.
 

Fox625

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 24, 2021
Messages
175
Location
SoDak
I think WR draw may have just happened. I have a $40 charge on my credit card and only had that application pending. Might be worth a look.
 

Fox625

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 24, 2021
Messages
175
Location
SoDak
My page on GFP shows same: ’eligible’. But the pending $40 charge on my card is new as of 5 minutes before my last post And that’s what piqued my interest. Maybe a glimmer of hope.
 
OP
Fatcamp

Fatcamp

WKR
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May 31, 2017
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5,678
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Sodak
I have a pending $40 charge as well!

I also have three people and six choices on that card. 😐
 

see126

FNG
Joined
Jun 27, 2023
Messages
1
Anything else for anyone? Can see leftover license list so know it’s done but has anyone received emails?
 

Fox625

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 24, 2021
Messages
175
Location
SoDak
No email, just the charge. If you go to the application on the web site and click view application it also shows the charge.
 

mikkel318

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 10, 2013
Messages
174
I just saw the charge come across this morning. I drew a West River whitetail only and hoping my brother and Dad drew the any deer tag
 

Lytro

WKR
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
Messages
522
Draw stats are already posted. I wanted a WR point so I tried to draw a second choice tag in a unit that traditionally has leftovers after the first draw. All tags drew out with first choice applicants.

*Edit: Tag allocations were cut by 50% this year in this unit.
 
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KurtR

WKR
Joined
Sep 11, 2015
Messages
3,572
Location
South Dakota
I was surprised my wife drew any whitetail as here second choice east river. Maybe the last few years of horrible deer numbers kept people from applying. Didnt see any thing interesting so just more points for west river. Hopefully we keep getting rain another round of ehd and they might as well shut it down for a few years over here east and west river
 

Lytro

WKR
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
Messages
522
I was surprised my wife drew any whitetail as here second choice east river. Maybe the last few years of horrible deer numbers kept people from applying. Didnt see any thing interesting so just more points for west river. Hopefully we keep getting rain another round of ehd and they might as well shut it down for a few years over here east and west river
I don't think the overall numbers are that bad WR. Every piece of private ground with food/water/cover holds the majority of the deer. You'll literally see hundreds of muleys and whitetails around here on any cultivated private land. The public land gets pounded for 4 months, plus all the shed hunters that start as early as late December now. Combine the constant pressure with the fact that most WR public ground lacks any feature that would attract deer, and its not that hard to understand why you don't see a lot of deer on public.
 
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Aug 10, 2015
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I got beat ground hunting open country whitetails a few years ago during archery. Hopefully I can even the score in November.
 

KurtR

WKR
Joined
Sep 11, 2015
Messages
3,572
Location
South Dakota
I don't think the overall numbers are that bad WR. Every piece of private ground with food/water/cover holds the majority of the deer. You'll literally see hundreds of muleys and whitetails around here on any cultivated private land. The public land gets pounded for 4 months, plus all the shed hunters that start as early as late December now. Combine the constant pressure with the fact that most WR public ground lacks any feature that would attract deer, and its not that hard to understand why you don't see a lot of deer on public.
Ehd killed the deer in mass numbers last two years here in both dewey and corson. I have alot of friends and my brother in law ranches and the number of dead deer found during harvest last year was crazy. Add the reservation lack of management on top of that and most of those nr think they can hunt any land with the res tag and the deer numbers here are way down. I live 10 minutes from where i would hunt west river and 3 minutes east river and spend hours between driving for work and scouting for ducks and geese and every one in my group is all amazed at the lack of deer on both sides of the river. Father in law has lived here his whole life and says its as bad as he has ever seen.
 
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