Scouting for Mule Deer

[dubbs]

Hi I'm new here, but have been lurking for a while.

I'm planning a South Dakota archery mule deer hunt in 2018 or 2019. I'm looking for tips on e-scouting the wide open areas of western South Dakota. I do a ton of scouting via google earth for whitetail in Iowa and Minnesota as well as elk in Colorado, but I have no clue where to start in South Dakota. I've already downloaded all the public land maps onto my gps as well as google earth.

I'm not looking for any spots or even units, I just want to know what type of terrain/vegetation I should look for on topo maps and aerial photos that would hold mule deer. Thanks for any input.

 

[teamhoyt]

Mule deer.in sd will be in a lot of terrain types. Just pure grasslands with washes and broken terrain, creek/river bottoms, and the forest.

 

[Elkhunter24]

welcome and good luck!

 

[Walkathon]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[pabearhunter]

Welcome aboard.

 

[dubbs]

Thanks for the welcoming.

So you're saying they could be pretty much anywhere? Do they relate more to certain types of terrain depending on the time of the year? Is there anything specific you are looking for when picking out a spot to hunt?

 

[fowladdict]

Have you looked at the harvest report? https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=3ddf7c0aef6843e0887ec015e75420cf

Click on the unit and it will tell you the number of whitetails and mule deer shot in each unit. Pretty handy tool.

 

[dubbs]

Yes, I've seen that map, it's a pretty good tool. Between that map and the public land maps I have figured out the general area that I would like to hunt. I'm just trying to pinpoint a handful of chunks of land that I should focus my attention on, and what is there that makes them good for mule deer.

I have tons of experience going in blind for whitetails in the midwest, but I feel like this is a whole different ball game with spot and stalk mule deer. Is it just as simple as finding a good vantage point and glassing up some deer and trying to make a move on them? And I mean simple as in the tactic, not actually making the stalk and kill.

I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[uncle sage]

I hunted a lot of different new places thru the years and sounds to me like you will do fine. New places to hunt bring new adventure, the actual hunting is much the same. Listen to advice when you get it, the work you are doing now will come to play, keep a open mind, but trust your instincts. If it looks good to you, hunt it. Have several such places just in case.lol

 

[uncle sage]

Oh, Welcome dubbs,..and have fun!

 

[BangUSMC]

I have been going to SD for the past 3 years on DIY mule deer and we have taken 2 P&Y mulies all on public land. We hunt the area around the Custer national forest. My biggest suggestion is cover ground and get away from your truck. In three days we covered 36 boot miles, just cover lots of ground.