New for 2023

State Information

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The South Dakota Draw System

West River Deer Breakdown

East River Deer Breakdown

Black Hills Deer Breakdown

Custer State Park Deer Breakdown

Refuge Deer Breakdown

Muzzleloader Deer Breakdown

OTC/Unlimited Opportunities

South Dakota’s 2023 Rifle Deer Application Overview

South Dakota is home to all sorts of big game species with the primary focus being whitetail and mule deer. Both offer quite a bit of unique opportunities for all weapon types. Most of these opportunities come by way of a lottery draw system, but there’s also plenty of over-the-counter (OTC) opportunities as well. It’s pretty safe to say that whitetail deer are the primary species for most hunters, but there’s plenty of mule deer to go around. Both species can be found statewide; however, mule deer tend to be awfully scarce once you venture east of the Missouri River. Throughout this article, we’ll break down the rifle deer draw and the different categories that both resident and nonresidents can apply for.

In years past, hunters had the option to either apply online or submit paper applications. However, starting this year, all applications must be submitted online. No paper applications.

Insider features

Hunt Planner

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we created a brand new tool for Insiders called Hunt Planner. This tool will help you be more efficient at planning for hunts and also keeps all your research data organized. No more notepads getting lost or headaches when trying to remember what units caught your eye during your research! Everything you need is always in one place at GOHUNT.

What can you do in Hunt Planner?

Point Tracker

Point Tracker allows you to enter the number of points you have for each state and species and, as you research through Filtering and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted. Learn more about Point Tracker here.

To view important information and an overview of South Dakota’s rules/regulations, the draw system, tag and license fees and an interactive boundary line map, check out our State Profile.

Important Dates and Information

Hunter Education

Residents and nonresidents at least 12 years old must possess a hunter safety card. For nonresidents, a copy of a current or previous hunting license issued to them from any state will suffice.

Drought Conditions in South Dakota

2023

2022

Compared to last year, the state has shown great improvements. The western and central parts of the state have gone from severe to either moderate to abnormal. The northeast part of the state has seen the only decrease in moisture since 2022. Overall, most of the state is in pretty good shape. Going into 2023, it will likely be an average to above-average antler growth year.

South Dakota uses a weighted preference point system for all big game species and is used for your first choice only. They run a cubed point system unlike most states run a squared system, but with the same concept. For example, if you have four preference points, they then cube those points and add one for the current year. (For example, 4 x 4 x 4 + 1 = 65). So you would have 65 applications in the bucket for the specific hunt unit you wish to draw. From there, each application is assigned a random draw number and they start the drawing process. If you are unsuccessful in drawing your first choice, you will be awarded a preference point. Only one preference point can be earned each year.

For the rifle deer draws, they use a tiered preference pool system when conducting the draw. For each hunt, there is a 2+ point pool, a 1+ point pool and a 0+ point pool. All licenses allocated for that hunt unit are available to everyone who is in the 2+ preference pool first. This means that everyone who has 2+ preference points has the first shot at all those tags. If there are any licenses leftover after that draw, then anyone who has 1+ preference point now has a shot. Any remaining licenses will then be made available to those in the 0+ preference pool. Here is an example below:

For more information on how the draw is conducted, you can check out the preference point page.

Preference Points

If you do not wish to apply for a license or enter the draw, there is a separate preference point purchase period where you can buy a point for the following year. Preference points will be available for purchase from Sept. 15 through Dec. 15. These can be purchased through your Go Outdoors South Dakota Profile. Preference points cost the same for all point categories and are $5 for residents and $10 for nonresidents.

Party Applications

Group applications are accepted and you can have up to six people in a group. All must have the same first choice on the application and must all be in the same designated group. One thing to keep in mind is that South Dakota does not average your preference points. They go with the lowest number in the group. So if one person has six points and someone else only has two points, then the group application goes into the draw with only two preference points. Both resident and nonresidents can apply together in the same party, but only for units where both residencies are allowed. It should be noted that, in most instances, residents who apply with nonresidents will have a diminished chance of drawing a first-choice license.

Draw Categories

There are several different application types that residents and nonresidents can apply for, which are listed below. You are only allowed to submit two application types for the first drawing, but you are allowed to purchase and build points for all.

Although nonresidents only have a select few categories to choose from, there are cases where they might have a shot at leftover tags once the draw has concluded. We will point those out in the category breakdowns below.

West River Deer includes a total of 37 units that span from the Missouri River to the western edge of the state. It does not include the Black Hills Units or the Custer State Park Unit. There are several different license types to apply for when it comes to West River Deer and it all depends on which unit you choose to apply for. Most folks tend to go after the Type 01 any deer or the Type 11 any whitetail licenses, which are available in most West River Units. However, there’s a lot of antlerless options to apply for if getting a tag in your pocket is the ultimate goal. All of the West River rifle deer options are open to both resident and nonresident hunters. The majority of the mule deer are found on the western half of the state, so if you’re targeting a nice South Dakota mule deer, then a West River Type 01 any deer license could be what you are looking for. Your biggest obstacle with this state, regardless of what license you draw, will be places to hunt and gaining access. License options are listed below:

East River Deer includes a total of 46 units that cover everything east of the Missouri River to the Minnesota and Iowa state lines. The east side is a whitetail deer rich environment and very few mule deer are found in this region. However, there are some mule deer that are harvested every year in the units that border the Missouri, but the farther east you go, the more scarce they become. East River Deer licenses are for residents only until all of the draw periods have concluded. After the last draw period, if there are any remaining licenses left, then nonresidents will have the opportunity to purchase one of these leftover licenses.

There is a lot less public land in the eastern half of the state, which most residents are already aware of, so lining up a place to hunt prior to applying would be a smart move. The Type 01 any deer and the Type 11 any whitetail licenses are going to be the primary targets for most, but there are plenty of antlerless options available as well depending on the unit you wish to pursue. License types for East River rifle deer are listed below:

Almost all of the units for east river deer are well under 10% public land, so it would be wise to solidify a place to hunt before applying.

Black Hills rifle deer includes all of two units that sit on the very western edge of the state. Probably the most attractive part about both of these units is they are made up of primarily public land. BH1 is the southern and biggest unit with both Type 01 any deer and Type 11 any whitetail deer licenses available. If you are after a whitetail deer or mule deer buck in the Black Hills, then these are the licenses you would apply for. BD1 is the northern unit and it only has the Type 13 antlerless whitetail option available.

Residents

For resident hunters, the hardest license to draw is going to be your Type 01 any deer license for Unit BH1. You will start to see favorable odds around the seven-point level and up. The Type 11 any whitetail deer license is much easier to draw and has 100% odds at the two-point level. If you’re not specifically targeting mule deer and you don’t wish to build points forever, then this option is one to look at. For Unit BD1 and those going after the Type 13 any antlerless whitetail license, residents had 100% odds with only one point.

Nonresidents

Nonresident hunters are pretty much in the same boat as far as points and expectations in Unit BH1. The Type 01 any deer is much more difficult to draw, but if you are specifically targeting mule deer, this is your only Black Hills option. The Type 11 any whitetail license is much more attainable from the two- to five-point level. For Unit BD1 and those going after the Type 13 any antlerless whitetail license, nonresidents had 100% odds with two points.

Custer State Park is for residents only and offers two different license types to apply for. There are no nonresident opportunities for Custer State Park. The Type 11 any whitetail license is the hardest to draw and you will have to be around the 15-point level to see some decent odds. Once you draw this license, you are then strapped with a 10-year waiting period until you can apply again. The Type 13 antlerless whitetail license is much more forgiving and had 100% odds at zero points. There is no wait period tied to the antlerless whitetail.

Although both of these licenses are drawn for rifle, they both have an archery equipment only season date tied to them, so you have the ability to hunt both weapon types with the same license.

South Dakota has three wildlife refuges that are open to deer hunting and these licenses are available through the state draw. The Sand Lake Refuge, Lacreek Refuge and the Waubay Refuge are all eligible for both residents and nonresidents to apply. All three have multiple seasons to apply for and only one has a Type 13 antlerless whitetail license. The refuge options are broken down in the tables below:

As you can tell from the tables above, the earlier seasons have the better success rates, but also have much harder odds for both residencies. There are a couple options at the lower point levels and the only refuge antlerless license was drawn at the zero point level. Something to consider if you’re just looking to grab a tag for this year.

The South Dakota muzzleloader deer license is a Type 01 any deer license that is available to residents only through the draw. This is a relatively easier tag to draw compared to some others. Last year had decent odds from three points and up. Even though this is a statewide license, you will need to be sure and check the regs because there are some closed areas where this license is not valid.

South Dakota does have an alternative option for a muzzleloader license that is available to both residents and nonresidents. There is a Type 13 antlerless whitetail license, which is an unlimited license. You still need to apply for this license, but there's no risk of not drawing one. This is not a statewide license, but it’s pretty close. Hunters will need to check the regulations to see where this license is valid. For the nonresident looking to fill the freezer, this could be a good option to look at.

Residents

For the resident adults, the biggest opportunity for OTC/unlimited licenses would be the archery deer license. There are four different licenses available:

As a resident, you are allowed to purchase up to three of the four types listed above. There are restrictions to this where you can’t have more than one statewide license. You can only have one East River or West River (not both) and only one antlerless license. So if you wanted to, you could purchase a statewide archery, an East River archery and an LM1 license all in the same year.

Resident youth and apprentice deer are also OTC/unlimited, so if you have kids and want to get them involved, be sure to check out the state regulations for more information on those.

Nonresidents

We already discussed the unlimited antlerless whitetail muzzleloader licenses that are available. It is also worth keeping an eye out for any and all leftover East River deer tags once all of the draws are finished. If you have a piece of property available to hunt, this could be a great way to get your hands on an East River deer tag.

If you didn’t catch it in our previous nonresident archery deer application strategy article, there is both an OTC private land only archery license and an OTC archery antlerless whitetail license available. Click the link below to get the details on those.

South Dakota nonresident archery deer application overview