North/South Dakota Nonresident Mule Deer Hunting

[miwoodcock]

Say looking for 2023/2024 Mule Deer hunt
In either state, depending on the ease of getting a tag.

What can the natives tell me.
I'm just looking for the opportunity to hunt, not per sé after a trophy
Any part of the state for recommendation's???

 

[xswanted]

If you’re planning on hunting ND with a rifle the draw odds are very poor for a non resident in any of the mule deer units.

1% of the tags are allocated to non residents. It takes me 5-6 years to draw one as a resident.

You can accumulate preference points as a NR so if you want to hunt I’d start applying now. Unless you’re pretty lucky it’ll take a long time to draw. But it is possible.

NR archery hunting is much easier to draw. NRs need to apply in the spring time, I don’t know the deadline but I believe it’s March or so. There’s quite a few tags available for NR hunters but many people draw.

4a, 4b , 4c and 4d are the major mule deer units.

Others units can be very good as well just not as “well known”.

 

[miwoodcock]

If you’re planning on hunting ND with a rifle the draw odds are very poor for a non resident in any of the mule deer units.

1% of the tags are allocated to non residents. It takes me 5-6 years to draw one as a resident.

You can accumulate preference points as a NR so if you want to hunt I’d start applying now. Unless you’re pretty lucky it’ll take a long time to draw. But it is possible.

NR archery hunting is much easier to draw. NRs need to apply in the spring time, I don’t know the deadline but I believe it’s March or so. There’s quite a few tags available for NR hunters but many people draw.

4a, 4b , 4c and 4d are the major mule deer units.

Others units can be very good as well just not as “well known”.

Thanks, appreciate the input. Tons of research, feels like 1 step forward 2 steps back.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Never have I had a bad experience calling game fish parks dept in the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming.

 

[miwoodcock]

Never have I had a bad experience calling game fish parks dept in the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming.

Trying to get a hunters perspective

 

[1lessdog]

I moved to MN 13 yrs ago, and have been applying for a Mule Deer Buck in N.D. for 12 yrs and still have not drawn a tag. I moved from N.D. It is really hard to draw a tag.

 

[miwoodcock]

I moved to MN 13 yrs ago, and have been applying for a Mule Deer Buck in N.D. for 12 yrs and still have not drawn a tag. I moved from N.D. It is really hard to draw a tag.

Well not good news, but let's me know to keep searching for another place to hunt.
I think a lot of times it feels like a money game with all these draws, Michigan Bear and Elk tags are the same way.

 

[jepp2]

Trying to get a hunters perspective

I've deer hunted in SD 5 different years as a NR. Two of those years I had a West River Special Buck tag. It allows you to take any deer (buck, doe, whitetail, muley). One of those 2 years I didn't fill, the other one I shot the whitetail in my avatar. So I have yet to shoot a muley in SD. But to honest, I am far more likely to take a whitetail that I feel is superior, than a muley that impresses me. But I see a lot of nice muleys in CO where I live.

I don't know your approach to your hunt, but the area I hunt Ziebach county. Probably 98% private, the very little public area gets very heavy pressure. I don't have experience in other parts of the state regarding areas you can hunt. This is where the suggested Fish and Game might be very helpful to you. The deadline for purchasing a preference point just passed a few days ago.