# South Dakota Archery Mule Deer Hunt



## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Headed out for first week of October to hunt public land in northwest South Dakota. Anyone ever mule deer hunt this area?


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

No, but if it's like their whitetail hunting just East of Missouri River you will be in love before you leave.


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Namrock said:


> No, but if it's like their whitetail hunting just East of Missouri River you will be in love before you leave.


That's the goal. Thanks for the post


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## Wandering arrows (Dec 20, 2009)

Namrock said:


> No, but if it's like their whitetail hunting just East of Missouri River you will be in love before you leave.


Agreed , we hunted east river probably 6 years ago and from what we gathered if you got more then about 3 miles from the river you seen mostly whitetail , the mule deer seem to stay close to the river . But it was a fun to be able to hunt both at the same time . Good luck .


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Wandering arrows said:


> Agreed , we hunted east river probably 6 years ago and from what we gathered if you got more then about 3 miles from the river you seen mostly whitetail , the mule deer seem to stay close to the river . But it was a fun to be able to hunt both at the same time . Good luck .


Wow great buck! I will be in Northwest part of the state 25miles to Montana border. Did you get him with bow/gun? Guided/diy?


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

ev


Wandering arrows said:


> Agreed , we hunted east river probably 6 years ago and from what we gathered if you got more then about 3 miles from the river you seen mostly whitetail , the mule deer seem to stay close to the river . But it was a fun to be able to hunt both at the same time . Good luck .


That is a thing of beauty! Congratulations. We hunted in Hyde & Hand counties, wich look pretty close 2 the river on the map. But the people we stay with say they almost never see muleys that far east of the river. But man can they grow whitetails better than us! Going back 1st week of November. Already daydreaming.


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## Wandering arrows (Dec 20, 2009)

steelyspeed said:


> Wow great buck! I will be in Northwest part of the state 25miles to Montana border. Did you get him with bow/gun? Guided/diy?


Archery, DIY we were hunting public land and a little piece of private that had a wheat feild that sat in the middle of the public and shot that one on the private. Fun hunt just haven't made it back there in yet .


Namrock said:


> ev
> That is a thing of beauty! Congratulations. We hunted in Hyde & Hand counties, wich look pretty close 2 the river on the map. But the people we stay with say they almost never see muleys that far east of the river. But man can they grow whitetails better than us! Going back 1st week of November. Already daydreaming.





Namrock said:


> ev
> That is a thing of beauty! Congratulations. We hunted in Hyde & Hand counties, wich look pretty close 2 the river on the map. But the people we stay with say they almost never see muleys that far east of the river. But man can they grow whitetails better than us! Going back 1st week of November. Already daydreaming.


Yeah we seen some awesome whitetails but the year after we were there they got hammered with EHD where we hunted so we have been giving it some time before we return . Good luck it's awesome country even just to visit .


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Things should be good for us. A couple Michigan boys on our first spot and stalk archery hunt. Should be interesting!


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Sounds like an epic adventure is on tap 4 you guys! Have a blast Take LOTS of pictures out there & let us know how it goes.


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## Wandering arrows (Dec 20, 2009)

steelyspeed said:


> Things should be good for us. A couple Michigan boys on our first spot and stalk archery hunt. Should be interesting!


You will have fun , we always said we would make a cow decoy to hide behind to stalk up on them if we did it again ( just a idea )


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Wandering arrows said:


> You will have fun , we always said we would make a cow decoy to hide behind to stalk up on them if we did it again ( just a idea )


Not a bad idea! I have seen guys do that on outdoor channel. For camo I have all real tree AP pants then a few sage brush shirts. Think I should be fine? From 15 years of white tail bow hunting my guess is if you are not seen moving or winded then I should be fine


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## Wandering arrows (Dec 20, 2009)

steelyspeed said:


> Not a bad idea! I have seen guys do that on outdoor channel. For camo I have all real tree AP pants then a few sage brush shirts. Think I should be fine? From 15 years of white tail bow hunting my guess is if you are not seen moving or winded then I should be fine


You should be fine the nice part is they give you a little more room for error when it comes there reactions . They don't just run like whitetails they like to stare at you for a couple more seconds


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Wandering arrows said:


> And during the Rut they like whitetail
> 
> You should be fine the nice part is they give you a little more room for error when it comes there reactions . They don't just run like whitetails they like to stare at you for a couple more seconds


Ok that is what I have heard. I just hope we don't hit 90degree week. There is a Montana cow decoy for 91$ on Amazon...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00X...=cow+decoy&dpPl=1&dpID=412N2dagTQL&ref=plSrch


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## Wandering arrows (Dec 20, 2009)

Give it a try , let us know how it goes


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## yooper Bob (Jul 11, 2016)

Hey guys, me and a buddy go to the Mobridge SD area and just west of there and shoot bucket loads of prarie dogs. mostly on reservation land. see lots of antelope also. the ranchers there are very friendly, especially when you give them fresh Michigan maple syrup.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

I will be interested t see how your hunt goes. Mulies are on my list.


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

brushbuster said:


> I will be interested t see how your hunt goes. Mulies are on my list.


I will keep you posted. South Dakota seems to be a sleeper state for Mulies. I was looking for a hunt under $1000 and this fit the bill. I will provide all details when we get back.


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## Hunting18 (Jul 16, 2014)

steelyspeed said:


> I will keep you posted. South Dakota seems to be a sleeper state for Mulies. I was looking for a hunt under $1000 and this fit the bill. I will provide all details when we get back.



I am also interested on how this hunt goes. I will be heading to Nebraska for a muzzle-loader mule deer hunt later this year.


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## yooper Bob (Jul 11, 2016)

Brushbuster, I have gone to northern Wyo in the Bighorn mtns by Burgess Junction. camped in tent. Very inexpensive,public land and lots of mule deer and elk. It is a good likelyhood to get license as its wild country and not many hunters. I am speaking of the archery season. Its on the north side of highway 14a.


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## Huntmaster143 (Aug 28, 2003)

yooper Bob said:


> Brushbuster, I have gone to northern Wyo in the Bighorn mtns by Burgess Junction. camped in tent. Very inexpensive,public land and lots of mule deer and elk. It is a good likelyhood to get license as its wild country and not many hunters. I am speaking of the archery season. Its on the north side of highway 14a.


I know that country well!!

You used to be able to buy the archery tags as leftovers, but the past couple years there haven't been any leftovers and you have to have a point now to draw. It is a relatively easy hunt with a lot of good access.


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## jfish88 (Oct 26, 2012)

This thread has got me thinking I need to try it out in SD. Very interested to see how it goes for you guys. Did you draw a tag on your first year, and is it good for whitetail and mule deer?


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

jfish88 said:


> This thread has got me thinking I need to try it out in SD. Very interested to see how it goes for you guys. Did you draw a tag on your first year, and is it good for whitetail and mule deer?


For archery it is basically over the counter. You apply online pay $286 and they send you a tag good for both species


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

steelyspeed said:


> For archery it is basically over the counter. You apply online pay $286 and they send you a tag good for both species


Shhhhhh!


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Namrock said:


> Shhhhhh!


I left a zero off, it's $2860


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Yep that's what I paid.


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## pigeon (Jan 25, 2009)

Do the gun tags work the same
Way as bow?


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

pigeon said:


> Do the gun tags work the same
> Way as bow?


Nope fine tags take a few years depending which dmu can take up to 10 years for non resident


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

pigeon said:


> Do the gun tags work the same
> Way as bow?


I do not believe so. When I went out in 2011, we stayed with my brother in law's family. & They told me that even the residents have 2 apply for a rifle tag, & they don't always draw one. That kind of blew my mind. Can you imagine the outcry here in Michigan if the residents couldn't gun hunt? They'd go berserk.


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Hunt cancelled... I drew an any elk Michigan tag for December season!!!!


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

steelyspeed said:


> Hunt cancelled... I drew an any elk Michigan tag for December season!!!!


Holy crap! Good 4 you! now Go buy a freaking lottery man.


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## Huntmaster143 (Aug 28, 2003)

Congrats man! Life's short, do both!


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Huntmaster143 said:


> Congrats man! Life's short, do both!


I already have a Mexico vacation booked with my wife in December so that is all 2016 can afford


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

So your going 2 Mexico on vacation, & elk hunting in December? Wow that's a busy schedule.


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Well I didn't win the Michigan elk lotto,(congrats man)or am I taking my wife 2 Mexico.
(Thanx alot 4 that 1). So I'm still going! Here are some S Dakota trail cam pics from last year on the farm we stay at.


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Namrock said:


> Well I didn't win the Michigan elk lotto,(congrats man)or am I taking my wife 2 Mexico.
> (Thanx alot 4 that 1). So I'm still going! Here are some S Dakota trail cam pics from last year on the farm we stay at.
> View attachment 220498
> View attachment 220499
> View attachment 220500


Beautiful white tail!!


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## buckhuntin (Feb 26, 2011)

Namrock said:


> Well I didn't win the Michigan elk lotto,(congrats man)or am I taking my wife 2 Mexico.
> (Thanx alot 4 that 1). So I'm still going! Here are some S Dakota trail cam pics from last year on the farm we stay at.
> View attachment 220498
> View attachment 220499
> View attachment 220500


To those of you that have bow hunted out there can I get a little info from you? I'm set to hunt the western end of the state the first 7 days of November but the closer it gets the more I'm thinking early to mid October might be better for spotting and stalking both whitetail and mulies. I guess I'm just a little gun shy because last time I hunted North Dakota that time of the year it was -11 and very windy. I'm hoping to do some tree stand hunting but until I get out there I won't know what I'm in for. We plan on hunting all public land.


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Can't speak about the mulies because I've never hunted them. As far as the time your going. I went out Nov 7th-11th. & The whitetail rut seemed pretty much in line with ours. Bucks were cruising ALOT for does. Again not sure what that does as far as spot & stalk because have only stand hunted out there. The weather will be a coin flip, but no matter the temperature you can pretty much count on some stiffer wind then we get here. Good hunting 2 you & be sure to post how it goes. I'll be out there the 4th-12th this year.


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## buckhuntin (Feb 26, 2011)

Ok great. I just talked to the conservation officer in the area and he said the mulies seem to be up this year. We will be hunting from the 2-9th. Do you hunt the western half?


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

No, my brother in law has family that owns a farm east of the Missouri River. So we stay with them, & hunt whitetails there. I Consider myself extremely lucky to be able to go out there. Because the hunting is like nothing around here.


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