Black Hills South Dakota tips for first timer?

[Timmer]

Hey guys,

I'm hunting the Black Hills for the first time this spring.  I'd certainly welcome any wisdom you guys have to share.

I think the biggest difference for me is going to be the vast amount of land and associated locating and working turkeys.  Where I hunt in the farmland around river bluff country in MN and WI I've got pretty well defined pockets of woods in the bluffs around the farms.  The birds are really prevalent so locating them and maneuvering around them is really not that big of a deal.  For me, at least how I've grown accustomed to hunting, it's largely been about trying to find the one that isn't henned up or trying to find the calling that's good enough to bring him in anyway.    

Thoughts on where and how to find them would be really helpful, as well as anything about the differences of hunting the wooded hills as opposed to farmland.  

[jshively]

I am interested to hear the suggestions - and how your hunt goes.  I have thought of doing a trip just like it. 

Good Luck!!

[hookedspur]

 

[neal]

I went there last year I've hunted several states and that area was the worst area I've ever hunted not a lot of birds which is not a huge deal but tons of hunters everywhere, it didn't matter how far back into the hills we went we ran across other hunters. I hope you have better luck than we did, I won't go back again plenty of other great public land areas to hunt.

Neal

[Timmer]

I went there last year I've hunted several states and that area was the worst area I've ever hunted not a lot of birds which is not a huge deal but tons of hunters everywhere, it didn't matter how far back into the hills we went we ran across other hunters. I hope you have better luck than we did, I won't go back again plenty of other great public land areas to hunt.

Neal

Oh no, don't say that!  Where did you go?  I know poeple who have had success on the north side but the group I'm tagging along with is going to the south side. 

[Turkeydan]

I hunted there in 2003. I stayed in Custer and a few miles out of town South, I believe, I hunted Federal lands. You need a permit from the some agency whose office is on the left as you travel on the Rushmore hi way. You definitely need a map and compass. Those roads go on for miles as do these canyons! I was there the week before Easter. Weather is wild, heat, rain snow ??. Worked some birds but did not connect. Most motels are closed for the season so try to reserve ahead. I never saw a hunter but I think the past few years other hunters have learned about that area. You need a special permit from their Game Dept in Pierre SD to hunt the Black Hills. I would go again. Where else can you roost gobblers at night and hear elk bugling? Go for it. Any questions feel free to ask. The drive from Sioux Falls, SD to  Custer is 11-12 hours. Try to fly into Rapid City airport. Custer is about an hour from there.  Reserve a car ahead of time also.

[Timmer]

I hunted there in 2003. I stayed in Custer and a few miles out of town South, I believe, I hunted Federal lands. You need a permit from the some agency whose office is on the left as you travel on the Rushmore hi way. You definitely need a map and compass. Those roads go on for miles as do these canyons! I was there the week before Easter. Weather is wild, heat, rain snow ??. Worked some birds but did not connect. Most motels are closed for the season so try to reserve ahead. I never saw a hunter but I think the past few years other hunters have learned about that area. You need a special permit from their Game Dept in Pierre SD to hunt the Black Hills. I would go again. Where else can you roost gobblers at night and hear elk bugling? Go for it. Any questions feel free to ask. The drive from Sioux Falls, SD to  Custer is 11-12 hours. Try to fly into Rapid City airport. Custer is about an hour from there.  Reserve a car ahead of time also.

Thanks for the info.  We've got a group of guys going and are renting a cabin.  We've all got our Black Hills tags already.  I ordered two Black Hills maps.  One's a trail map and one is a topo map.  We're from MN, so we'll be driving.  I've never heard a elk in my life, that would be awesome!

[Austy]

I hunted the north end 2 years ago.  I tagged out in Wyoming and had my SD License just in case.  I was able to get into some birds but the country is tough going.  The year that I hunted we encountered alot of snow high and the lower areas had all the run off from above.  The roads were like driving in snot and were interesting to say the least.  I did pass on a jake during that hunt and watched several long beards at about 300 yards but due to the run off I wasn't able to cross the creek which was now a raging river at the bottom of the hollow because of the snow run off to get to the birds.  I only hunted a day and was able to get into birds, maybe I was just lucky!!!  Good Luck!!

[shootumindaface]

I went there last year I've hunted several states and that area was the worst area I've ever hunted not a lot of birds which is not a huge deal but tons of hunters everywhere, it didn't matter how far back into the hills we went we ran across other hunters. I hope you have better luck than we did, I won't go back again plenty of other great public land areas to hunt.

Neal

The first year I went out there, there was hunters.. The second year the Chamber of Commerce started advertising in popular hunting media and it was a circus.. There are plenty of birds but also plenty of hunters..

The whole problem with the Hills is that early in the season the birds are congregated in the small private chunks in the bottom.. The other problem is, you think man I can walk and walk and walk and get away from people, problem is, you hit another road LOL

[deerhunt1988]

We have been to the hills twice and only encountered other hunters on 2 occasions. We have went around the second week of May. Still got 7" of snow last year on our hunt. The nearest town to where we hunted was a 40 minute drive...Plenty of birds where we were at also..

[TRKYHTR]

My son and I will be there from April 30th to May 6th in Hill City. If anybody is near come by and hang out. We'll be the camp with a couple turkeys hanging in the trees. lol

TRKYHTR

[Timmer]

My son and I will be there from April 30th to May 6th in Hill City. If anybody is near come by and hang out. We'll be the camp with a couple turkeys hanging in the trees. lol

It's going to be my 70 year old dad's first hunt.  Maybe if we don't have any success you'd let us take one of those hanging turkeys and set it out in a field for him to shoot just so he can experience it?   

[siyakadog]

Drive from Sioux Falls to Custer or Rapid is less than 6hrs, we deer hunt out there and we make the trip in less that 8hr and Im east of SF bout 2hrs.  Let us know how you do, been thinking bout Turkey hunting out there for a few years.

[gobblerguide]

Timing is very critical for success,you dont wanna have to fight snow or mud if you are gonna enjoy yourself.I have hunted and guided in the black hills for years and i think it is beautiful country but be prepared to walk some rough ground and lots of it.If you can get reports and leave on the spur of the moment that is ideal.Imo there are better birds on some of the reserves in sd that can be hunted pretty cheap.

[selmadogdoc]

I've hunted the Black Hills twice.  I really enjoyed it both times.  I killed one turkey, and made a poor decision not to shoot the other time.  There is an unlimited amount of land to hunt.  If you cannot find an
uncrowded place, you just haven't looked hard.  There are hundreds upon hundreds of Forest Service roads that turn off the main roads. The last time we went, they had not opened them yet.  that was a real problem.  You might want to call the forest service to see where the roads are open. It is imperative that you have a four wheel drive vehicle that can drive this roads.  You cannot locate turkeys in this area by walking.  Hunting in the afternoon is not allowed, but each afternoon around roosting time we would drive the back roads and coyote howl.  We almost always located a gobbler for the next morning.