South Dakota NR Mule Deer / Whitetail Hunt

[HuntFish247]

Hello,

I am new to Rockslide.

Buddy and I (From MN) both have 6 preference points for SD WRD and BHD. We will be planning a rifle hunt for Mule Deer or White Tail. Few questions...

1. When we choose to put in for a tag, if we go WRD do we blow points for BHD as well (and vice versa) or are they totally separate meaning we should be able to get two different hunts out of these points?
2. I am looking for a starting point on deciding where to hunt/what unit to try to get a tag for/how many points that will take/etc etc. Again - we are in the beginning stages of making decisions hence such drastic questions. We are relatively indifferent between shooting a white tail or mule deer. We hunt MT almost every year and have no issue putting 10+ miles on a day if needed to get away from the crowds and back where deer have little to no pressure. With our schedules we have the ability to hunt SD next year (2024) but if we need a few more PPs to get into a coveted area then we will wait a few years. Does anyone have some hints or ideas here for areas of the state to focus on for E-scouting and any suggestions on units to target for getting a tag? We will generally be hunting public.

Thank you all and look forward to learning.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

You can apply for Bh or WR but not both even though you get points for both units. If you draw one you can still draw the other on a different year. Last I remember sd isn’t a pref point state but bonus. So you “could” draw anything in the state but some areas are harder than others. You’d probably draw a bh whitetail tag with ease given the amount of pts you have.

 

[KurtR]

wr and bh are different draws so you dont blow your points. I will give you something to think about the coveted areas if you know they are coveted so does every one else. There are mule deer to be had alot of places and the last place im blowing my points is the coveted areas with every body else.

 

[Lytro]

Your points are totally separate, and the draws are also separate. You only lose your preference points for the season you are successful in drawing as a first choice.

You're a long way from being able to draw a muley tag for the hills. Draw statistics are posted online. I recommend doing the research to see what you're able to draw with the points you have, then decide on what unit you would prefer. Ability to hike 10 miles is fairly irrelevant outside of the Black Hills. Terrain is pretty easy and most public access isn't that big.

 

[Lytro]

You can apply for Bh or WR but not both even though you get points for both units. If you draw one you can still draw the other on a different year.

Is this a NR specific thing? Residents can apply for 2 different seasons in the first draw.

 

[HuntFish247]

Crystal Clear on the separation of WR and BH PP. I am racking up points for two different hunts - not one or the other. I appreciate that delineation.

 

[HuntFish247]

Your points are totally separate, and the draws are also separate. You only lose your preference points for the season you are successful in drawing as a first choice.

You're a long way from being able to draw a muley tag for the hills. Draw statistics are posted online. I recommend doing the research to see what you're able to draw with the points you have, then decide on what unit you would prefer. Ability to hike 10 miles is fairly irrelevant outside of the Black Hills. Terrain is pretty easy and most public access isn't that big.

Thank you. From what i am seeing BH Deer is like 14-16 preference points ish... i'm reading that correctly?

Again I know very little but would you suggest then that we just keep buying PPs for BH for the foreseeable future and then maybe start focusing on a West River hunt strategy?

Thanks for the guidance and tips.

 

[KurtR]

Thank you. From what i am seeing BH Deer is like 14-16 preference points ish... i'm reading that correctly?

Again I know very little but would you suggest then that we just keep buying PPs for BH for the foreseeable future and then maybe start focusing on a West River hunt strategy?

Thanks for the guidance and tips.

If you want to hunt the next few years thats what i would do. Its pretty easy to strategize here. Pick a county look at the draw stats. Then look at the public land and how much there is . Then pick a week to come if its me im going this week and hunting over thanksgiving you will practically have the place to your self. They are rutting like crazy right now.

 

[HuntFish247]

If you want to hunt the next few years thats what i would do. Its pretty easy to strategize here. Pick a county look at the draw stats. Then look at the public land and how much there is . Then pick a week to come if its me im going this week and hunting over thanksgiving you will practically have the place to your self. They are rutting like crazy right now.

Very good - thank you

 

[Lytro]

I personally would not continue building points hoping for the future. The black hills any deer tag is a joke. Most deer killed are comparable to what you could harvest in other states in a 0 or low point unit. Tag allocations have been cut in half in a lot of units for this year's draw, point creep is getting worse, and NR opportunities will likely never get better than they are now.

 

[Lytro]

Thank you. From what i am seeing BH Deer is like 14-16 preference points ish... i'm reading that correctly?

Points are cubed, so it's a bit of a WAG trying to figure out how many points it will take to draw. A person drew with only 3 points, but half the available tags went to people with 12+ points. IMO, BH whitetail is a better hunt for the value.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Is this a NR specific thing? Residents can apply for 2 different seasons in the first draw.

Yea must be unless it’s changed recently, last time I applied and drew I could apply for BH or WR but not both. Pretty sure we (NR can only apply for 1 deer tag per year?)

Thank you. From what i am seeing BH Deer is like 14-16 preference points ish... i'm reading that

14-16 for the any deer but WT only can be had for 1/4 of that

 

[KurtR]

I personally would not continue building points hoping for the future. The black hills any deer tag is a joke. Most deer killed are comparable to what you could harvest in other states in a 0 or low point unit. Tag allocations have been cut in half in a lot of units for this year's draw, point creep is getting worse, and NR opportunities will likely never get better than they are now.

Ya i dont get the appeal of that tag the size of the mule deer i see from there are not worth the wait. Seeing deer numbers this year i could see more cuts coming for next year.

 

[HuntFish247]

Yea must be unless it’s changed recently, last time I applied and drew I could apply for BH or WR but not both. Pretty sure we (NR can only apply for 1 deer tag per year?)


14-16 for the any deer but WT only can be had for 1/4 of that

This could be an interesting strategy then for us... and again just thinking out loud... but a WR tag for a Mule Deer targeted hunt and then with 6 PPs we could be getting ready to start targeting white tail in BHs. The majority of our Mule Deer hunting to date has been MT hunting where you are shooting 140-150" class mule deer which is totally fine. we have a blast. but if this is what BH produces seems like a joke to spend 15 years (at best) on a similar tag.

For a BH Whitetail hunt do these deer behave similar to the WT in MT where they're more on agg edges and river bottoms than in the coulies (sp?) and rougher country that Mule Deer tend to be found at?

 

[Lytro]

This could be an interesting strategy then for us... and again just thinking out loud... but a WR tag for a Mule Deer targeted hunt and then with 6 PPs we could be getting ready to start targeting white tail in BHs. The majority of our Mule Deer hunting to date has been MT hunting where you are shooting 140-150" class mule deer which is totally fine. we have a blast. but if this is what BH produces seems like a joke to spend 15 years (at best) on a similar tag.

For a BH Whitetail hunt do these deer behave similar to the WT in MT where they're more on agg edges and river bottoms than in the coulies (sp?) and rougher country that Mule Deer tend to be found at?

Surprisingly, no. The black hills are filled with whitetails on landscapes you would think is prime muley country. Of course, you will certainly find them near ag and river bottoms as well. Go anywhere in the hills and you will find whitetails. Mule deer, not so much.

That 140"-150" muley is going to be a really good deer on any public land in the state here. Bigger deer do exist, but they're few and far between. 6 points should actually give you pretty good draw odds in most units for WR rifle.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Lytro pretty much nailed it. I’d also submit that the WT’s in the hills are almost their own subspecies, similar to a coues deer. Last buck I shot was good for the hills but tiny (body wise) compared to more Midwest white tails. I’d be surprised if there were many 200lb dressed deer coming out of the hills.

In a couple days I think I saw between 50-100 deer. You go for the chance to hunt the hills vs trophy potential.

 

[Andrew12gauge]

Yea must be unless it’s changed recently, last time I applied and drew I could apply for BH or WR but not both. Pretty sure we (NR can only apply for 1 deer tag per year?)


14-16 for the any deer but WT only can be had for 1/4 of that

You can absolutely apply for both WR deer and BH deer in the same year as a nonresident. I’ve been doing it for 8 years now and have no tags to show for it


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[jmez]

As others have said don't waste your time or points on MD in the hills.

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[HuntFish247]

Thank you all for the feedback and information