South Dakota Big Game hunting

[Rob]

Has anyone ever lived in South Dakota and hunted big game?  I am considering locations to relocate to in the next few years and Rapid City SD is one of those areas.

Hunting is a pretty critical consideration for me.  Been poking around the SD game and fish site, and it looks like everything in the state for large game is draw only.  In principle this is not a big deal if the win rates are 90%.  But it is a deal killer if I can only hunt deer every 15 years!


Would love some input from anyone who has lived there in the recent past.

Thanks!

[andrew_in_idaho]

Never hunted there but I’ve been buying points and/or applying for deer the past few years. From talking with a resident friend it sounds like deer tags are pretty easy to get for residents. I think elk tags are once in a lifetime and sheep, mountain goat and bison are all once in a lifetime but aside from deer and antelope everything else is resident only. Also if you’re a bowhunter you can definitely get tags for both deer and antelope each year


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rob]

Interesting.  Thanks for the info.  I need to spend time looking over their regs to fully understand them.  Appreciate the info.  A move to SD would probably require elk hunting to be out of state in general.

(Bobcat - your mailbox is full!)

[DWBMontana]

I can not help you as far as living there as a resident, however, I know the area well, lots of public ground, lots of private ground leased by outfitters close to Rapid. I prefer Spearfish or Belle Fourche myself. You are also close to some good hunting in the Nebraska panhandle....and tags are very achievable for a NR and pretty reasonable also. Plus WY, MT, ND are close and some real good fishing in Sd

[OutHouse]

I know a guy in Bismark who appears to hunt every year in archery. Some pretty good bucks in those scablands or badlands whatever they call it.

[Rainier10]

I know a guy in Bismark who appears to hunt every year in archery. Some pretty good bucks in those scablands or badlands whatever they call it.

Uh, Bismark is a little north of South Dakota, like North Dakota. 

[follow maggie]

I know a guy in Bismark who appears to hunt every year in archery. Some pretty good bucks in those scablands or badlands whatever they call it.

Uh, Bismark is a little north of South Dakota, like North Dakota. 

  Good point!

[bobcat]

Interesting.  Thanks for the info.  I need to spend time looking over their regs to fully understand them.  Appreciate the info.  A move to SD would probably require elk hunting to be out of state in general.

(Bobcat - your mailbox is full!)

Try again, please. I cleaned it out.

[OutHouse]

I know a guy in Bismark who appears to hunt every year in archery. Some pretty good bucks in those scablands or badlands whatever they call it.

Uh, Bismark is a little north of South Dakota, like North Dakota. 

Woops! All the same to me!

[elkchaser54]

Best pheasant hunting in the whole country . Turkey hunting is phenomenal.  Still get OIL chances and deer are a plenty !!!

[bearpaw]

You would be close to southeast MT and northeast WY, there is some great hunting in both those areas!

[DWBMontana]

Best pheasant hunting in the whole country .

Please keep telling folks this.....