Anyone hunt Black Hills SD or WY national forest

[Tedd]

Does anyone hunt these areas? I hunt with an outfitter in Wyoming. I've always wondered what it would be like to stroll around the forested areas of the Black Hills National Forest. Are there deer to hunt on the public lands? Can you do it yourself? Are there places to camp.? Are 4 wheelers a problem?
TD

[vernon]

Hey Tedd,  I currently live in Buffalo Wyoming about 2.5 hrs from Black Hills.  My dad has a small cabin in the black hills and have been hutning there since I was young.  PLENTY of public land, 4wheelers are a must, and countless places to camp.  Seen some decent deer there this year already.

[beaunaro]

CRS might have info for you too. He lives in
n Spearfish.

[Black Hills]

There are about 1.25 Million Acres of public land in the Black Hills.  About 80% of that is on the SD side.  There are scattered patches of private land in the Hills, but there are maps available from the USFS showing where those private patches are.

The deer population (and ungulates, in general) here has taken a hard hit from mtn. lion predation, but last summer/fall there was pretty severe drought.  Blue tongue knocked the deer down even more.  There are still enough deer to go around though, and it is pretty much a do it yourself thing.  Paid outfitters are not permitted to guide on the public lands here, though I'm not sure if that is a state regulation or not.

As for 4-Wheelers/ATV's etc...  Pick your poison.  They must be licensed, street legal, and remain on designated roads (either public roads, or USFS roads with the 3-digit roadway signs).  If you are caught off of designated roads, they will confiscate and cite you.  If you are turned in for being off the designated roads, you will probably be cited.  If you are on USFS designated trails (those USFS two-tracks with a 4-digit marker), you need to have a "trail" permit.  If you take your 4-wheeler off road, and screw up someone else's hunt, Lord only knows what they will do...  Some guys aren't very forgiving in that regard.

FWIW, the archery deer season coincides with the Rifle Elk season, so chances of running across other hunters is fair - - depending on which areas you are in.

The local custom in the Hills is to park at or near the head of a USFS Road intersection...  That should be an indication to other hunters you are in that area, and they generally move along and leave you unmolested.  However, given the number of East River folks (from eastern SD), and the number of out-of-staters that have been flocking here, that custom isn't followed, except by the locals.  If you do come this way, and if you park at or near an otherwise unclaimed patch, then take off to hunt, but remain within eyesight of your rig, you will be able to pick the locals from the yay-hoos by who keeps on going.

With regard to camping, remote camping is allowed anywhere in the Black Hills, so long as you aren't in the same area for more than two weeks.  If you do camp remote, you won't be able to have any open fire at all.  Only camp stoves, etc.  You will need to follow up on the specifics of that regulation.  There are campgrounds scattered throughout the Hills, and there is a daily fee - - those are first come, first served.  But, the good news is they generally have approved fire-pits for open fires, provided a special fire ban or restriction isn't in place.  One other thing...  If you burn wood, get the wood locally.  If you bring wood in with you from out-of-state, that's a No-No...

Not sure what else to tell you at this piont, but keep us posted, and maybe we'll cross paths.

[CRS]

Well stated.

[Tedd]

Thanks,
Man I wish I lived near there! I pass through too quickly on the way to the outfitter in Wyoming. It looks like good hunting. Is it mostly mule deer or whitetails? I hunt whitetails in NE Wyoming.
I must have type it wrong. I would want ot avoid 4 wheelers! I happened to see on the Black Hills site that there were 3000 miles of 4 wheeler trails.
Tedd

My wife and I are thinking about moving to somewhere between the Hills and and the Devils Tower. We spotted every animal that I would like to hunt in that area this summer, beautiful country.

[neargeezer]

The Game Fish and Parks used to say the deer population was about 20% mule deer in the Hills, but I haven't seen stats in awhile.

There is plenty of 4 wheeler and motorcycle trails, but there is an on going problem with them traveling in area's they a not allowed and making their own trails.

[Black Hills]

Like neargeezer, I haven't seen any new species specific reports since 2006.  I do know that muleys are concentrated in pockets and for better success on muleys, a hunter needs to focus on the southern Hills, forget about the central Hills, and just get plain lucky in certain areas of the northern Hills.  The muleys will range into the timber from the surrounding prairie in the south, and in very isolated pockets in the north.  However, the lions have pretty well eliminated several of the resident pockets of muleys in the central hills in the last five to ten years, and I don't know that they will recover in my lifetime.

My son works the timber in the winter and fights fire in the summer, and he has yet to see more than five muleys bunched up anywhere except the southern Hills.

Whitetail are more widespread, and for some reason, the lions haven't hit them as hard as the muleys.  Both my son and I reckon the whitetail to muley ratio is probably close to being in the 10 to 1 neighborhood these days...  About 9% to 10% muleys in the total deer population - - compared to the 20% or so that it was six to ten years ago.

Indeed the 4-wheelers and ATV's are an issue - - and those riders disrespectful enough to blaze their own trails are frowned upon - - especially the ones that are by-passing the gated roads or riding like drunken fools.  There have been more than a few instances of shots fired "across their bows" so to speak, when they end up busting someone else's hunting.  The way some of them ride, sharing the road with some of them is challenging enough, but having to put up with them being off the designated roads brings out a whole different kind of angry...

Bear in mind the "3,000 miles" of 4-wheeler trails are the same roads/trails that conventional vehicles also travel on.  If a gate is closed across a road, anyone behind it is (or should be) generally afoot.  There are still some pretty good tracts that a guy can hunt for a day or two and not see another soul, but more than likely, you'll be crossing paths with someone.