South Dakota is known for both trophy Mule Deer and Whitetails. TNT Outfitters has access to hundreds of thousands of acres of prime deer habitat. Whether you’re looking to spot and stalk a mule deer or sit in a tree stand waiting for a whitetail TNT Outfitters offers both bow and gun hunts to suit your needs. Dave’s passion as a deer hunter along with the relationships he has built with landowners from his years as a state trapper provide you, the client, with the best possible chance for success. The state is divided into West River and East River areas with a special area comprising the Black Hills. Non- residents must apply for tags and in some instances may obtain left over tags OTC. Check the resources page for links to South Dakota Game, Fish and Park.
Field Notes - Winchester Whitetail Revolution: Timber Lake Expect The Unexpected Hunt
by Mark Kayser, Versus
"Are those deer," I questioned my hunting partner Dave Tatum, also owner of T-N-T Outfitters. My voice sounded like it was unbelievable. Three specks in the distance looked too small for cattle, but their location miles from any creek bottom seemed out-of-place for timber-hugging creatures. Grabbing my Nikon Spotter XL I dialed in the specks and let out a "oh ya" exclamation.
The specks were definitely deer and one sported enough head gear for a closer look. We estimated the trio was at least two miles away and we took off immediately to get a closer look at the whitetails lounging in pronghorn country. Easing up on a prairie ridge we spotted the group below and it didn’t take a team from NASA to determine their relationship. The bigger buck was dogging a hot doe hours, if not minutes away from being bred. Behind them, often pushing his luck, was a 1 ½-year-old buck hoping for a lucky break for love.
"We’ve got to get closer," Dave whispered to me and after evaluating the terrain we knew it meant a long crawl across the prairie. As natives of the prairie, we understood the crawl meant dodging prickly pear cactus. Luckily it was too cool for rattlesnakes and we hit the ground for the chore at hand. Two hundred yards and 15 minutes later we peeked over a rise and found our quarry below.
Their location, although odd; made perfect sense. The wide-open hideout allowed the deer security from hunters looking along the obvious creek bottom habitat that attracted most whitetails. Plus, the buck knew the further he pushed the doe from the other whitetails, the less competition he’d have from other bucks. One young buck came across the lovebirds, but I’ve seen as many as six bucks pestering a doe about to come into estrus so the dominant buck’s plan was working.
"He’s at 310 yards. I think you’d better take him now," Dave whispered. I lined up the reticle on the buck as he demonstrated dominance over the young buck. As the buck turned for a perfect quartering away shot I depressed the trigger. Although we didn’t have a breeze on the hillside, the valley below funneled the winds and the bullet drifted into the buck’s back, anchoring him soundly.
Dave and I hustled down the hill to inspect the prize, a four by four whitetail with long eye guards and main beams that hooked up, perfect for a coat hanger. By looking in the unobvious locations, we came up with an obvious trophy buck.
LESSONS LEARNED
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Never overlook any habitat for whitetails regardless of size or distance from suitable cover.
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Always buy the best optics you can afford. It’s almost better to forget your rifle than quality optics.
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Know your rifle. Trajectory and drift may not be important in the big woods, but it’s hit or miss on the open prairie.
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
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A spotting scope is a "must-have" item. It saves you boot tread and allows you to evaluate trophies from afar.
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Use a steady rest. A daypack provides you a solid rest, but shooting sticks or bipods work in any environment.
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Shoot a large caliber rifle when hunting open country. Calibers like the Remington .300 Ultra Mag shoot flat and provide plenty of punch at long range.
