Black Hills, SD Whitetails

[wisconsinteacher]

I'm less than 45 days away from my trip to the Black Hills for a whitetail hunt. It will be me and my brother in law hunting the week of Thanksgiving. From everything I read, there are great numbers of deer with bucks around 120-125" being the high average. It is hard to believe that there are that many deer there. I hope we see a few and get a crack at 2 bucks.

If you have ever hunted the Black Hills, what hunting style worked the best for you?

Thanks and I hope I can post pictures after Thanksgiving weekend.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Are you both going to be in timber with clear cuts of several hundred yards?
Will you be hunting mostly in open pasture areas?
If in timber with clear cuts, your best hunting style will be slow stalk, and sit and watch as you get into clear cuts.
If you're in open pasture, and mountain side hunting, then sitting and glassing for game animals will be the norm, and then getting into position and ambush shooting will be your style for that kind of hunting.


Hope this helps.

Hawk

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[cloverleaf]

Are you both going to be in timber with clear cuts of several hundred yards?
Will you be hunting mostly in open pasture areas?
If in timber with clear cuts, your best hunting style will be slow stalk, and sit and watch as you get into clear cuts.
If you're in open pasture, and mountain side hunting, then sitting and glassing for game animals will be the norm, and then getting into position and ambush shooting will be your style for that kind of hunting.


Hope this helps.

Hawk

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Sounds right- not that I have hunted the hills- but the terrain would fall into those designations. Where exactly, if I can ask, will you be hunting? "The Park" is another potential factor, if you are close to that. CL

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Are you both going to be in timber with clear cuts of several hundred yards?
Will you be hunting mostly in open pasture areas?
If in timber with clear cuts, your best hunting style will be slow stalk, and sit and watch as you get into clear cuts.
If you're in open pasture, and mountain side hunting, then sitting and glassing for game animals will be the norm, and then getting into position and ambush shooting will be your style for that kind of hunting.


Hope this helps.

Hawk

Sent from my REVVLRY+ using Tapatalk

Sounds right- not that I have hunted the hills- but the terrain would fall into those designations. Where exactly, if I can ask, will you be hunting? "The Park" is another potential factor, if you are close to that. CL

Thank you!
My family is originally from that area. My grandfather lived in Custer, SD.
He would do the slow stalk in timber.
If he was hunting wide open spaces, would use binoculars to scan, and find his quarry. Then go and get into position to ambush.
I used to do the same thing when I used to live in Wyoming. Plenty of mountains, and wide open spaces to hunt up there.


Hawk

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[wisconsinteacher]

As of now, we are planning on hunting the northern part of the Hills unless there is a lot of snow, then we will head south to the Hill City area. Sounds like moving slow and using glass is key. From there is you hit an area that looks good, give it some time and see what happens.

I'm really hoping that there is some rutting activity going on still. Here is WI, the deer really slow down due to all the hunting pressure from rifle season but there are only 100,000+ more people in the woods that week.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

As of now, we are planning on hunting the northern part of the Hills unless there is a lot of snow, then we will head south to the Hill City area. Sounds like moving slow and using glass is key. From there is you hit an area that looks good, give it some time and see what happens.

I'm really hoping that there is some rutting activity going on still. Here is WI, the deer really slow down due to all the hunting pressure from rifle season but there are only 100,000+ more people in the woods that week.

The rut in the West on average is later than in the Mid-West.
I think the both of you will be right at the beginning of it, or in the middle, when you get there.
I'm pretty sure you both will have a successful hunt when you're there. Whitetail are a little more tricky in that part of the country, they usually tend to stick to forest edges, but can be seen out in the open occasionally. Mule deer are more brazen, and will be out in the open, most of the time.
Good luck, and Happy Hunting.


Hawk

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[wisconsinteacher]

Thanks for the great info Haweyesatx!!! Really looking forward to the trip.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

You're very welcome!
I hope you really enjoy your trip!
I love the smell of the pine trees up there. I miss them.
Good luck on the hunt.


Hawk

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[345 kv]

. I also hunt the Black Hills if I don't fill gen tag before Nov. Use the same tactics you use ins and you will do f

 

[cloverleaf]

Sounds like you have gotten better advice than I could offer. Sorry, when some one posts a question about SD, I cant help myself. Sounds like those "edges" when they come out to feed are gonna be worth a look. As was stated your "wisc. skills" should serve you well. A photo or two and the "tale" will be required. Enjoy! CL

 

[1100 Remington Man]

The last time I hunted there was in the 1980’s when NonResidents could just drive out and buy a Buck Tag only. My hunting was Spot & Stalk and watching Meadows in the evenings. There was a large deer herd as I saw a lot of Deer but that year I hunted three States for Deer and in South Dakota Black Hills all I saw was a couple basket bucks 4x4 and smaller. I did see a lot of Deer but nothing of any size. It was amazing the number of deer that would come into the meadows in the evening.
It was also the Coldest I have ever sleep outside -20F Thanksgiving and a Blizzard on the way home I could not see any further than the hood of the truck, when this happens you just stop on the Interstate 90.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

I saw more Mule Deer in the Southwest and West side also.