Custer national forest South Dakota

[Jm84]

Anyone ever hunt Custer national forest in South Dakota? Looking what to expect.

 

[Kentucky Jack]

I'm curious as well, drove through some of it this past October on family vacation and it looks like great deer habitat!

 

[Dakota79]

When are you coming and what are you using?

 

[EYJONAS!]

Can't be any worse than the Custer in SE MT.

 

[Jm84]

When are you coming and what are you using?

Rifle season. Find out soon. Options are unlimited for caliber.

 

[Dakota79]

Rifle season. Find out soon. Options are unlimited for caliber.

Send a message if you have any specific questions.

 

[grizzly63]

What did you get for a tag? any, any whitetail etc?

 

[Jm84]

What did you get for a tag? any, any whitetail etc?

Any one deer

 

[ZBB]

@grizzly63 I think that’s the only wr unit that only has any deer tags no any whitetail.

@Jm84 there’s some nice deer in there, you might stumble on one right away but I’d think you could be a little picky especially with how they’ve restricted archery hunters in there. I can’t speak to what ehd did to the whitetails there, but I’d be ready to pass some really nice ones to get a mulie. The archery hunters can still hunt during rifle season so they might be in there and as muzzleloader season runs through December you might run in to people scouting for that. Also be ready to see people that have driven down closed roads. All they do is drive a t post in the ground with a plastic cover over it.

Funny story my dad and I were archery hunting up there one year when I was in high school and we walked out on a point right before we were headed home and spooked two really nice whitetails. They were at a dead run almost instantly and they didn’t stop running until they were little specs on the horizon.

Good luck, it’s a cool place to hunt and to just generally hang out in. Have fun and hunt it smart.

 

[blackbeard]

Let us know how it goes, I believe I can hopefully draw that next year. I'll be curious as well about numbers, ehd hit hard last year.

 

[Ajmaslo]

Send a message if you have any specific questions.

What do you know about 35L. I am looking at muzzy hunting it

 

[Bucks_n_steel]

Hunted pretty hard, but every now and then a gagger comes out of there. I wouldn't bet on it though. Pretty dang cool landscape though

 

[SDbuckmaster]

Hunted with a guy for 4 days. We hunted hard hit all my spots never seen one buck that was worth shooting. Was glad to see some whitetail bucks though.

 

[Ajmaslo]

Hunted with a guy for 4 days. We hunted hard hit all my spots never seen one buck that was worth shooting. Was glad to see some whitetail bucks though.

What was the size structure you saw?

 

[Ajmaslo]

Hunted pretty hard, but every now and then a gagger comes out of there. I wouldn't bet on it though. Pretty dang cool landscape though

What was the size of deer you saw?

 

[SDbuckmaster]

Lots little 2 and 3 points couple little 4. Not sure I have ever seen it that bad and I've spent a lot time in that country.

 

[Ajmaslo]

Lots little 2 and 3 points couple little 4. Not sure I have ever seen it that bad and I've spent a lot time in that country.

Is they somewhere else close you might point a guy with a muzzleloader looking to shoot a decent muley

 

[grizzly63]

Wyoming? JK. Lots of public land in SD. Stretch your legs, God knows what you might find. Good luck.

 

[Bucks_n_steel]

What was the size of deer you saw?

I should clarify... lots of people hunt it hard. I have never personally had a tag there, but I know that it gets plenty of traffic. Like any unit though, a giant walks in front of someone every now and then. I just wouldn't hunt that area expecting it.

 

[Dakota79]

What do you know about 35L. I am looking at muzzy hunting it

I know some of it very good and some of it not so good. Which one are you looking at going to?