I have kept this quiet for the last month and a half on trad gang, but have actually been busy facilitating a move to south Dakota after applying to and receiving, through the grace of God, a job offer in rapid city up against the black hills. I have officially resided here now since last Tuesday and I DO NOT KNOW A SOUL, let alone places to shoot or hunt. In fact, I am still iffy on finding Walmart.
I applied to and relocated to this job specifically for the sake of bowhunting, though.
Anyway guys, obviously I am a traditional archer, but am also a black powder enthusiast, and enjoy camping and wildlife viewing, and historical sites and historical education.
If anyone could point a fellow tradganger in the right direction I'd be really grateful to you guys. I just want to get to know this area and figure out where to do the things I enjoy.
-Silent footed.
You lucky lucky man. Head over towards Hill City, just before you get there turn right on China Gulch Road. It will take you up into Gods country. I've spent more than a couple weeks camping and hunting in those "hills", some with old friends whose spirits I like to think are still there. :pray:
The black hills are a fantastic hunting area! Really the entire western half of the state is super cool, but nothing quite like the hills. Tons of room to roam and places to check out literally right out your door. My SD experience is a little north of you, in the belle fourche area and hunting the Custer NF pieces and surrounding public. From my experience (before the nonresident changes for archery) the pressure was minimal. I hear the place gets a ton of gun hunting pressure though. Animals were not around every tree but we did have chances on a few bucks, though nothing to seal the deal. I was after mulies but whitetails are abundant too.
Looks like you'll still be considered a nonresident in SD this year. Have you already applied for tag(s)? If not, you're limited to private land archery deer and archery antelope in SD. Antelope you have to apply but are guaranteed, and I believe archery deer is OTC, but don't quote me.
For the Wyoming side, draws have already happened and there are very few tags on the leftover lists. A few private land options, and looks like just a handful of doe tags for unit 10 left for any weapon.
Congrats on the move, and good luck! Can't wait to see some pictures!
I live just west of Rapid, so welcome to the area.
One of the first things you might want to do is head a couple of miles south on highway 16 towards Mt. Rushmore and stop at the National Forest Service office. You can purchase maps and also pickup free trails maps of the Black Hills. I think you can also pick up the National Grasslands map there for the Badlands area.
The Game Fish and Parks website has a lot of information along with downloadable maps that show walk in area's, national forest lands, and BLM lands. The Game Fish and Parks office on Sturgis Road on the west side of town has a book of the same hunting lands and I think it's called the Hunting Atlas and is free. There is also a new archery range over there.
I stump shoot nearly daily on forest service land behind my house. The forest service map will help you find forest service land which is all open to multiple use. The app from GFP will also help with finding that if you have a smart phone. There is a lot of forest service land in the Hills.
If I can help more, just shoot me a private message.
Terry K.
You are lucky. I've been traveling out to SD and WY on bowhunting trips for years and hope that I can relocate to one or the other in the future, maybe after my wife and I retire. Only reason I might choose WY over SD is because I love elk hunting more than just about anything else. On the other hand, SD has the better governor, maybe one of the best in the country!
I have hunted the black hills on the wyoming side for 15 years. headed there in september. I know why you moved there! I would like to someday also. SD has a good governor. Hopefully they open up some non res opportunities. (I forgot about this photo. My brother snapped it with an iPhone while my buddy who guides some big name clients was trying to get his photo, the lighting is awesome. What a spot! You could just lay down and sleep there!).
Tedd[attachment=1,msg2926632]
[attachment=1]. Lumpy's Bar, Central City
I messed up my post. Was supposed to say lump's Bar, central City south Dakota. About 40 miles Northwest of rapid City. Was in there 2 days ago
Oh, if you are not fond of motorcycles, you will have some issues part of the year. I pretty much hate them but that's just me. :knothead:
Guys, I am reading and appreciate your responses. I'm finding i can only get on here during the weekend. This whole week I have been bogged down day and night trying to get started right at my new job this week and reviewing my notes each evening to get stuff absorbed so I can shift my focus as soon as possible back to archery.
Am hoping to get back on here this weekend once I'm off. I have one more day of classroom training before I meet my preceptor bright and early next Monday morning. So I'm praying tomorrow goes well.
-Adam.
I'm on the East River side of the state, but have been West River (6) times since Covid hit. There's plenty of public land to explore in the Hills and West River in general. Take the advice of several other posts by getting the maps and apps showing the public ground. I would take your time this fall getting to know the lay of the land. SD is a great place to live. Please don't bring the east cultural values with you!
I'm on the East River side of the state, but have been West River (6) times since Covid hit. There's plenty of public land to explore in the Hills and West River in general. Take the advice of several other posts by getting the maps and apps showing the public ground. I would take your time this fall getting to know the lay of the land. SD is a great place to live. Please don't bring the east cultural values with you!
Quote from: Mighty Big Country on July 31, 2020, 04:03:21 PMPlease don't bring the east cultural values with you!
No need to worry there. I am actually from southwestern Indiana which is pretty similar in culture to SD. I spent nearly the last decade living near the Catskills in New York: Beautiful area with friendly caring country people, but my job was in a nearby metropolitan area some drive away where I saw plenty of those "values" first hand. Over the last couple of years I would say it definitely gave me the final push I needed to get out here. Just too many drawbacks, and not the kind of drawbacks us archers want to encounter. :laughing:
Good Luck in the new job and location.
Deno
Congrats on the relocation! Little jealous here. Hope to convince the wife to move west once I retire.
I've got nothing else really relevant to offer but good luck and enjoy learning the area. I'll be hunting north of Wall the first week in Oct.
One other suggestion, I would recommend grabbing a backpack/gear and spending as much time as you can every weekend camping and hiking in the Black Hills (SD and WY), National Grasslands, and BLM getting to know the lay of the land this fall. Best of luck!
I grew up in Spearfish, just west about 60 miles on I90 from Rapid City. Highly recommend taking your family for a ride up Spearfish Canyon in the Fall, see the colors racing up the draws as the leaves turn.
Trout fishing is awesome in the hills, especially near Spearfish due to the local hatchery.
And as others have said, great hunting... lots of variety of game and tons of public land.
Just a beautiful place.
Was out there a couple years ago. My wife and I took a grandson to a Christian Youth Camp out of Rapid City. Make sure you take a drive thru Custer State Park. Absolutely beautiful.
I grew up in Rapid City, still consider it my "home town" although I have not been back in a very long time. Anyway the Black Hills are what ignited my passion for the outdoors and bowhunting, you done good!
X2 on the ride through Spearfish Canyon in the Fall. Congratulations on the move to a beautiful state.
It's worth the ride to spearfish just to see the trout and wild game any time of the year. It is Beautiful. I have a Trad hunting buddy the lives in the Lead Deadwood area.
Silent Footed-
I live outside of the whitewood area in the black hills and am into traditional shooting. Well...trying to spend more time doing it again anyway. Spent a good amount of time out of the last several working on my house. Would be nice to run into some other trad guys in the area to goof around with. I know a few guys in the southern part of the hills but sometimes that gets to be too much of a trip to have time to do much.
Glad for you to have this opportunity.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2:
I live in belle fourche. Used to live in spearfish, still hunt the hills every year. I do have trouble finding many traditional guys around. Good to know one moved in. Its great hunting and beautiful. The deer in the hills do have some interesting habits. Any questions feel free to message me. I'll toss up a photo of a hills whitetail
Hello Tom,
Good to hear about another around. Do you do much target shooting? It would be cool to get some people together and do some shooting without having to go to a 3d shoot that's packed full of wheel shooters.
Yes I shoot quite a bit. There is a pretty nice outdoor range right on the edge of spearfish I like to go to. Its right next to an archery only hunting area as well. I know there is a shoot or two organized there each year but its mostly wheelers. I'd be all in on trying to get a trad shoot going
good to know about the range.
My daughter attends Black Hills State in Spearfish...
ill have to check it out on my next visit...
Absolutely! And I'm always willing togo shoot. Anybody nearby message me and I'd be willing to tag along
If you are one Facebook there is a page "Black Hills Traditional Bow Hunters". It has a listing of activity's going on out there. I think Forest Cain is the moderator. There's a large trad community out there. Probably the largest in the state.
I used to have Facebook. Tried messaging the group quite a few times. Never got a single response.
A few years ago we were looking for a place to move to in NE Wyoming. Then i hurt myself and thought my bowhunting days were over, but I heeled up and got back at it. However, moving is not in the cards for us. An out of state hunt may be in the future. Ilove that part of the world almost as much as Quetico, which thanks to the commy Canadian government, that is now out of bounds for a non-vax redneck like myself. I would rather hunt antelope and birds than deer.
Sorry I haven't been keeping up with these, and evidently the email notification isn't working. I will have to try and look you guys up someday here and do some shooting