South Dakota Elk Draw

[KurtR]

Wife drew any deer west river me and son drew second choice any whitetail west river and all three of us drew any whitetail East river

 

[Dakota_Rookie]

2nd choice white tail west river and missed out on MZ


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[Fatcamp]

You guys are making me rethink my strategy of not applying for 2nd choice whitetail tags. Want to focus on archery mule deer but now I might fill that WR tag in September. I will still have an ER archery tag, but that's not the same.

No matter what my son will have mentor antelope and deer. After our spring turkey struggle I am excited for him to have success. He deserves a win.

 

[Voyageur]

H3F, not the ideal unit as far as public goes, but know a few people that have filled their cow tags there. My first tag of any sort in the hills

I know GF&P has had in the past a list of ranchers in H3 that will let you/want you to hunt elk on their land . Last I spoke with them they didn't have this year's list put together but planned to do so.

 

[wmd]

I drew any whitetail tag for Tripp county and my son has a special buck west river tag. He and his wife are expecting twins due in December so it is questionable whether he will be able to hunt this year.
wmd

 

[KurtR]

You guys are making me rethink my strategy of not applying for 2nd choice whitetail tags. Want to focus on archery mule deer but now I might fill that WR tag in September. I will still have an ER archery tag, but that's not the same.

No matter what my son will have mentor antelope and deer. After our spring turkey struggle I am excited for him to have success. He deserves a win.

I was worried he would not draw East river as walworth has been hit and miss with ni preference. He had a rough year last year so wanted to make sure he got to chase a buck one way or another. Last year was the first in a long time I didn’t kill a deer. So making up for it this year

 

[Fatcamp]

I was worried he would not draw East river as walworth has been hit and miss with ni preference. He had a rough year last year so wanted to make sure he got to chase a buck one way or another. Last year was the first in a long time I didn’t kill a deer. So making up for it this year

We had many opportunities to draw tags this year. Swung for the fences and missed completely.

Older son asked today, "You guys didn't draw ANY tags? That hasn't ever happened, has it?"

We have archery tags and a bit of field experience. Fortunate to live in a place with so much opportunity. A coworker was telling me this is forecast as one of the best waterfowl seasons in a generation. Maybe shoot some ducks. Been a few years.

 

[Gun&BowSD]

4 dedicated months of archery deer for me. Group application bit me in the ass. Hadnt done a group app since I was a kid. Oh well, Ill draw for sure next year.

Fatcamp, you keep saying MZ tags, I assumed in earlier convo it was a typo and you meant MT. Whats MZ?

 

[Fatcamp]

4 dedicated months of archery deer for me. Group application bit me in the ass. Hadnt done a group app since I was a kid. Oh well, Ill draw for sure next year.

Fatcamp, you keep saying MZ tags, I assumed in earlier convo it was a typo and you meant MT. Whats MZ?

Muzzleloader. The wife and I each had 3 points. Figured one of us would luck out. Nope.

Like you say though, 4 months of dedicated archery. Gonna do some scouting this weekend.

Did buy a couple bags of decoys today. Mix of puddle and diver. Waterfowl hunting is a hoot.

 

[KurtR]

I will be hunting birds hard this year as I got a new puppy and can’t wait to get him hunting

 

[Gun&BowSD]

Muzzleloader...duh. You get three bags of dec’s? Know the guy who was selling them, got a steal on em didn’t ya? Haha, I don’t even duck hunt and thought about grabbing them up.

 

[Fatcamp]

Maybe same guy. 2 big bags, one small. Got a Chevy project in the garage?

 

[Mule34]

I didnt draw mine, only 3 years preference though, just trying to build it up. Headed to Idaho for archery elk in September to fill the "void"....lol, I do however have an any deer tag this year!

 

[thnksno]

And any of us can if we burn our points on cow tags. No room for complaints. LOL.

The odds will continue to get worse and SDGFP will probably continue to steer the tags toward high point holders.

I think most states steer the tags to higher point holders. If they didn’t we wouldn’t really have a reason for a preference point system.

I drew the h2 rifle with 5 points in 2008. I have 20 now for archery and no luck.

 

[NDGuy]

I will be hunting birds hard this year as I got a new puppy and can’t wait to get him hunting

What kind of pup?

 

[KurtR]

What kind of pup?

A black lab



He is 17 weeks old right now

 

[NDGuy]

A black lab
He is 17 weeks old right now

Great looking pup man! Have fun this fall.

 

[Fatcamp]

I think most states steer the tags to higher point holders. If they didn’t we wouldn’t really have a reason for a preference point system.

I drew the h2 rifle with 5 points in 2008. I have 20 now for archery and no luck.

SD doesn't have a preference point system, we have a bonus point system. We also have far more people who want to hunt elk than will be able to. What they have done by cubing points is guarantee that people new to the draw will never draw a tag. There are already so many people with 8 or more points the odds of drawing a tag starting now is impossible odds.

You can look at the draw this year and see how a large number of tags are going to people who have 10-15 points. How long until the people with the most points whine loud enough to convince the commission to change it to a straight point draw?

See, that may sound, "fair" to you, but the number of people leaving the draw is so low that mathematically it is not significant. There is no way for people to catch up. Add to that the fact that most of those high point holders who complain the loudest have had numerous elk tags throughout the years. Tags they drew with a bonus point system that they lobbied to to change for purely selfish reasons.

SDGFP went out of their way to downplay these mathematical facts when they asked people to comment on the cubing change. They intended to make the change regardless, just like watering down the changes to the new deer draw. They just do what they want and what those who have the commissions ear want. I just hope they leave archery deer tags alone, but honestly, just a matter of time before they are labeled the reason so and so can't get his deer tag, and they will be on the chopping block.

 

[Sodakhuntet]

Drew my H2 Rifle tag after 17 years. Fill very lucky to get this. It is looking like 20 year wait will be reality in couple years with 400+ people in every pt pool for 16 years and under. Good luck to all. Allow sme to focus on Montana, Wy, Co, and maybe Id. going forward. Will still be playing the SD elk game for archery tag. Hope to draw the last SD elk for me in next 5 years. I thin I can write-off Custer Park tag.

 

[Fatcamp]

Wife drew rifle antelope!

Now her and the boy can hunt together. Cool experience for a mother and son to take his first big game animal.