Deer Hunting in South Dakota
Deer can be found all over South Dakota--grazing in the ditches by the highways, drinking from the many lakes, jumping over fallen trees in the Black Hills and even walking through a person's backyard. Herds of does and fawns can be found resting in the early morning hours with six-point bucks watching over them. South Dakota is a deer hunter's paradise, but there is important information hunters should know before hunting.
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Seasons
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There are 10 separate deer hunting seasons in South Dakota. The seasons include archery, Black Hills, Custer State Park, East River, muzzleloader, National Wildlife Refuge, West River, special buck, youth and mentored hunt. The archery season runs from the end of September through January. The Black Hills season runs from the beginning to the end of November. The Custer State Park season runs from the beginning to the middle of November. The East River season runs from the end of November to the beginning of December. The muzzleloader season runs from the middle of December to the end of January. The West River and special buck seasons begin 12 days before Thanksgiving and runs to the end of November. The youth season begins on the second Saturday in September and continues through January. The season dates for the National Wildlife Refuge and the mentored hunt seasons vary.
Applying
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People who wish to hunt for deer in South Dakota must apply for a license through the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department. This can be done online through the website or at one of the local offices. The sooner an application is sent in, the better, because the state conducts drawings to determine who will be able to hunt deer in the coinciding season. The application openings for deer range from late March to late July. The average cost of a license is $35 and, if you do not get a license in the drawing, the money will be refunded.
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Restrictions
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There are a number of restrictions the state of South Dakota places on big game hunting, which includes deer. For example, hunters are not allowed to shoot within sight of a paved road. Hunters also cannot use bait, such as a salt lick. Electronic calls and dogs are not allowed to be used while hunting deer. Motor vehicles may not be used to chase deer and people cannot hunt in groups of 20 or more. You also cannot hunt on private land without the permission of the landowner. To view the complete restrictions and regulations, go to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department website.
Volunteer Program
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Due to the overabundance of deer in South Dakota, there is a state Volunteer Hunter Program that gives hunters easier access to private land. If a landowner wishes for hunters to remove deer from his land, all he has to do is contact a hunter who has volunteered for the program. A list of hunters who have volunteered to hunt deer on private land is available online on the South Dakota Volunteer Hunter Program website. A hunter can volunteer on the website as well, as long as he already has a South Dakota big game license.
Donations
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The South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger is an organization that uses wild game meat donations to feed the hungry in the state. Deer and antelope meat are the most common donations to the non-profit organization. All a hunter has to do is find out from a meat processor if her kill is qualified for a processing certificate through the organization. If it is, the hunter will receive $40 or $50 off the processing fee. Sometimes, the certificate is enough to cover the entire cost. The donated carcass is then processed, frozen and given to a local food pantry. South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger was started in 1993 and has since donated more than 450,500 lbs. of meat.
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References
- Photo Credit Deer image by Pinhole from Fotolia.com
