South Dakota Archery

[MN_Bowhunter4]

I've been doing a bit of research to try to figure out what I want to do this coming fall and I have landed on our neighbor to the west, South Dakota. My thinking here is that a) its within decent driving distance so a summer scouting trip could be in play and b) the archery tags are basically OTC. I am now trying to decide between archery antelope and archery deer.

Antelope:
Pros - mid-August opener means I could kick my season off early with this. Or I can wait a bit and do a rut hunt which would be cool. Antelope are just a fascinating creature and definitely something I want to chase.

Cons - going with a bow means tough (not impossible) to spot and stalk and August/September should be rather warm in a ground blind over water.

Deer:
Pros - I would definitely be going over the season opener if chasing deer since it opens the same time as deer at home. Likely able to find animals in more stalkable terrain. Bucks should be still in their summer patterns, or just switching over. And the option of whitetail or mule deer, although mule deer would be the goal.

Cons - Wouldn't be able to hunt the rut

So far, my research has taken me to unit 35L and 35C for deer; 15A and 15B for antelope. I do have ownership maps and gps chip and would love to keep it all on public. I also plan to car camp on this trip in order to maximize mobility. Has anyone had any general experience archery hunting these critters in these units? Curious about general pressure and herd health. I'm seeing a bunch of water holes or tanks in the antelope units on google earth and am wondering if those generally stick around in late summer / early fall in a normal moisture year. I realize we are a long way from being through winter and a lot can change. Just looking to start a conversation with some folks who have been in or around these areas before.

 

[Dakota79]

Why not come out when the seasons overlap and have both licenses in your pocket. You never know when or where you're going to see what. A lot of times you can find both deer and antelope at the same waterholes. You also would have endless stalking opportunities.

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

Why not come out when the seasons overlap and have both licenses in your pocket.

Budget driven decision. It'll have to be an either/or in order for me to afford it.

 

[blue devil]

I hunted in another unit area last year (53) in Mid/Late September. The public land I hunted the numbers weren't high due to the winter storm they had a few years back. So number of stalks were down to a couple per day. It was very dry and stalking was pretty difficult, but I still got it done within 37 yards. But further south had quite a few goats. It was a lot of fun and I'm doing it every year if possible.

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

Thanks for the info blue devil. That's a nice looking goat! What did you see/feel for pressure at that time of year?

 

[buckbull]

fyi - I looked into this a few years ago. NR must have a bow hunting safety course in order to buy a permit.

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

fyi - I looked into this a few years ago. NR must have a bow hunting safety course in order to buy a permit.

Thanks. I'll have to email the state for clarification on that section. Specifically the "first time...licensees..." section. I've been buying big game archery licenses for years in a few different states so not technically a first time licensee; but certainly in the state of SD I would be. It's probably a worthwhile course either way.

EDIT - just received word back from Ms. Miller of the SDGFP. She states: "If you had an archery license from another state then you don’t need to take an archery course."

 

[muledeerjunkie]

Pages 31 & 32 of this 68 page hunting guide pretty much spells out what the SD archery hunting requirements are: https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/nav/huntinghandbook.pdf

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

Yep, read that and confirmed with GFP that you don't need the certification course if you have purchased an archery license in another state. It is required for first time archery hunters only.

 

[blue devil]

Where we were at we hunted 4 days and never saw another archery antelope hunter. Lots of grouse hunters though! But we were in an area that the numbers aren't as high as others, so hunting was difficult and the archery pressure is out west a little further and south a little further. Plus we stayed at a state park with a lake and it was really nice and only about a mile or two from where we could start hunting

Thanks for the info blue devil. That's a nice looking goat! What did you see/feel for pressure at that time of year?

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

Grouse hunters heh? Interesting. Thanks for the intel. I plan to camp on BLM or Natl Forest in the area I'll be hunting. Makes it easier when you're right there without having to drive far.