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 2025 Rifle Deer Application Overview

South Dakota offers a wide variety of big game hunting opportunities, with whitetail and mule deer being the most sought-after species. Hunters can pursue these deer using different weapon types, each providing its own unique experience. While many licenses are distributed through a lottery draw system, numerous over-the-counter (OTC) options are also available. Whitetail deer are the primary focus for most hunters, though mule deer are also plentiful—especially west of the Missouri River, as their numbers decline further east. In this article, we’ll explore the rifle deer draw process and explain the different license categories available to both residents and nonresidents.

The deadline to apply is June 17, 2025, by midnight CT. You can apply online here.

Insider features

Hunt Planner

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we have a 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.

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

Compared to earlier this year, the state has shown great improvements. The only place showing signs of extreme drought is the far southwest corner. Overall, most of the state is in great shape. Going into 2025, it will likely be an average to above-average antler growth year.

2025

2024

2023

2022

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 that run a squared system, but with the same concept. For example, if you have four preference points, they 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 choose not to apply for a license or enter the draw, you can still purchase a preference point during a designated period for the following year. Preference points are available from September 15 through December 15 and can be purchased through your Go Outdoors South Dakota profile. The cost is the same across all point categories—$5 for residents and $10 for nonresidents.

Party Applications

Group applications are allowed, with up to six people per group. All members must select the same first-choice unit and be included in the same designated group. In South Dakota, preference points are not averaged for group applications; instead, the group is assigned the lowest preference point total among its members. For example, if one applicant has six points and another has two, the group’s application will go into the draw with just two points. Both residents and nonresidents may apply together in the same group, but only for units where both residency types are permitted. Keep in mind, however, that residents applying with nonresidents may face reduced chances of drawing their first-choice license in most cases.

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, which is pretty much every unit west of the Missouri River. 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, Type 02 any buck 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:

The East River Deer season includes 46 units spanning the area from the Missouri River eastward to the Minnesota and Iowa state lines. This region is primarily rich in whitetail deer, though a limited number of mule deer are harvested each year, especially in units along the Missouri River. East River Deer licenses are initially available to residents only throughout all draw periods. If any licenses remain after the final draw, nonresidents may then have the opportunity to purchase those leftover tags. 

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, Type 02 any buck 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 for 2025 offers one unit that sits on the very western edge of the state. Probably the most attractive part about this unit is that it's primarily public land. BH1 offers both Type 02 any buck deer and Type 12 one buck whitetail deer licenses. If you are after a whitetail deer or mule deer buck in the Black Hills, then these are the licenses you would apply for. There are no antlerless licenses available in the Black Hills for the 2025 season. The odds for drawing these licenses might vary a bit due to them no longer offering Type 01 or Type 11 licenses.  I would expect the Type 02 license to still have pretty steep odds.

The Custer State Park license is for residents only and there is only one license type for the 2025 season. There are no nonresident opportunities for Custer State Park. One of the biggest perks about this license is its 100% public land. Even for residents, the Type 11 any whitetail license is tough to draw and you will have to be around the 19-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. Dive into our standalone draw odds to see what your odds are at your specific point level.

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 all of the license types available for the 2025 season are Type 01 any deer licenses.  Some are rifle hunts and some are muzzleloader only hunts. 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, which is something to consider if you’re just looking to grab a tag for this year.

The South Dakota muzzleloader deer license, classified as a Type 01 any-deer license, is available exclusively to residents through the draw. This tag is generally easier to draw than many others, with decent odds last year for applicants holding three or more preference points. Although it's valid statewide, hunters should carefully review the regulations, as there are specific areas where this license does not apply.

For those seeking a broader option, South Dakota also offers a Type 13 antlerless whitetail muzzleloader license, which is available to both residents and nonresidents. This is an unlimited license, meaning there’s no risk of not drawing, though an application is still required. While not valid statewide, it covers a wide range of areas—hunters should consult the regulations to confirm where it can be used.

Residents

For resident adults, the biggest opportunity for OTC/unlimited licenses is 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 and nonresident 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

As previously mentioned, unlimited antlerless whitetail muzzleloader licenses are available, but it’s also worth watching for any leftover East River Deer tags once all draw periods have concluded. If you have access to private land, this can be a great opportunity to pick up an East River tag outside of the main draw process.