Black Hills Deer?

Thinking about applying for whitetail in the Black Hills of South Dakota. My bother-in-law and I currently have 4 points. Just wondering if going out during the week of Thanksgiving is too late and the bucks will be in post-rut mode and not moving much. I know the bucks are not huge but it would be a fun trip to take with my brother-in-law.

We are looking at going west of Custer and hoping to find some deer.

Plenty of deer there nothing to see 500+ along the roads heading out to hunt turkey in the springtime. Not much size to them but lots of them, never ate one so can’t comment on what they taste like.

White tails from the hills are good , ate them for years.

Following

Does it take four points to draw?

used to be over counter not sure if it still is

I hunted west of Custer a while back. There were deer every where.

We bought our permits over the counter.

Tags went to draw the same with over the counter turkey Hills tag several years ago if the guy is collecting points it must be a draw. Turkey is unlimited still just not over the counter.

Smaller deer not much big racks on the white tails seen a few fair mulies now and then.

Numbers are not near where they used to be, but the quality has improved a lot.

It hasn't been over the counter for at least 15 years. Is the last week to 10 days of November too late for buck activity, don't really know its been so long but did it one time and had opportunities but failed to capitalize. Last couple of years we were out there (2007..?), we saw more elk than buck deer. The number of motel rooms in Custer drastically reduces by November (or at least it did), two places maybe but we could still get in, just didn't do the first week.

I’m not sure how many point non residents needs. Thanksgiving week is good.

Thanksgiving week is not to late. That is when I go when I have a tag and there is plenty of rut activity still going on.

Never thought it'd be so tough to hunt SD

Currently, 2 points should get you a tag. I'm trying to narrow down a region to hunt. From what I'm reading is that there are a good number of deer and that most of the area is decent. Are there any places to avoid?

I’d shy away from Custer everyone that looks at a Hills map heads for Custer I hunted that area for years it gets a lot of pressure, less pressure in other areas out there.

You have to pay $10 for points now just another way to fundraise before they sell you a tag. Pulled that on elk tags a few years ago they I stopped getting points after that and stopped applying for deer tags we already pay top dollar for resident fees.

Good thread.

I think a decent amount of pressure is gone by going that late in the season. I have seen very few guys actually out of their vehicle and hunting. How many people are out and about depends on the weather also.

Going to bring this back up. I head out in less than 40 days. I can't wait. I've been looking at maps. Just trying to visualize how it will all play out. Do most guys walk ridges slowly or do they try to glass even though there are a good number of trees and thick areas?

Really looking forward to getting out there.

I hunted the BH off and on over the decade of about the mid-90s through about 2005 or so. I think its just about impossible to drive or stalk the woods without them picking up on you first. Maybe your slow ridge walking would work, but you have to get onto of the ridge first .We set up over looking clearings. A lot of the open ground in the southern Hills at least is privately owned. We saw more elk the last couple of years we went than buck deer. It is pretty country. We hunted mostly west and southwest of Custer.

Hunted Elk last month just north of Custer I believe, There were nice bucks everywhere. Access was fairly easy, especially if you dont mind walkin. You are never far from an old logging road.

Well dont leave us hanging. How did the elk hunt go?

Things sure have changed since I lived out there. A friend of mine, Dr. Earl Bielmaier a podiatrist in Rapid City at the time, had a camp near Custer. We'd hunt there and usually had great success on white tails. We never had points to deal with. That was back in the mid 70's. The dear tasted great back then, and I suppose they still do.

Yep, Paul things have changed. Black Hills buck only tags used to be one of the only deer seasons that was similar to a lot of places around the country where someone could buy a tag over the counter. Could also do that for BH turkey as well (I think). That got changed in 1990s (at least when I started to apply out there) where a person would have to go through the state application system but I think when I first got tags, the buck tags were still unlimited. I think about the same time a reg went in that the buck had to have at least 2 points on one side to be legal, so no more "spikes". Somewhere over time, the "unlimited" aspect of BH buck tags went away and a certain number (6-7 thousand-ish) appeared so a person actually was in competition for getting a buck tag. There was a certain number of "anterless" tags (does and fawns) available in the various sub-units of the BH. Those numbers have been fairly limited overall. As mentioned in some of the other posts, this management action appears to have paid off, as the bucks now taken in the BH tend to be older and nicer.

The key to BH deer hunting is how much time does a person have. For SD residents used to a weekend long West or East River hunt where 2-4 post ups and say 10 deer drives is all that's needed to get a deer in most cases, that generally won't be as productive in the Black Hills. If a guy has 4-5 days or a week, chances of scoring increase. When I have more time as a retired person in the future and a better vehicle, I plan to go back out there to the "pocket Rockies"...

It was my sons hunt, I was there for the experience. We didnt connect while I was there but he got a 5x5 two weeks later.

Thanks for the great help. It is me and my brother-in-law. We have 5 days to hunt if needed. I hope we can find two decent bucks in 4 days though so we could get home a day early.

Great thread. Hope to hunt there one day

How did your hunt end up going?