Within South Dakota, the Black Hills stretch 100 miles from Interstate 90 on the north to the Nebraska state-line on the south, and 40 miles from Rapid City on the east all the way to the Wyoming border. Much of this territory falls within the Black Hills National Forest (NF), which is the area I suggest you look into as a hunting destination. All considered, Black Hills NF may be as perfect a place as you can find for a self-guided hunt. It provides a real western wilderness experience with plenty of room for remote hunting, yet it's not so remote that you can't easily access good roads, motels, restaurants and other aspects of civilization. Couple that with generally good success rates and you have a winning combination.
To be sure, deer in The Black Hills are recovering from several harsh winters that have cut populations sharply. The National Forest and the Department of Game, Fish and Parks are currently working together to get the herd back on a growth track. Part of that plan included going from over-the-counter sale of rifle tags to issuing them through a lottery draw system. In that connection, it is too late this year to get in on the August 6 deadline for the third drawing. That doesn't mean you are necessarily out of luck, however.........(continued)
