How bad was the EHD around Sand Lake NWR this year?

[grizzly63]

Any reports from around there?

 

[Wild Bill]

From the looks of the map, no reported cases in that area.

ArcGIS Web Application

sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Didn't make it that far East, and I don't think it normally does. More of a west river/close to the river disease

 

[Mattfeth]

Not much. I live by there and have only found a few dead deer this fall while deer/bird hunting. And they were all 60+ miles west of there.

 

[grizzly63]

Thanks I asked the SLWR if EHD had affected the herd and general herd population questions. Wildlife Biologists answered promptly today that no EHD they knew of and hunters hadnt seen as many deer. The Biologist personally didn't know how the population was doing? Trying to decide on applying for Sand Lake or Lacreek? Does Sand Lake get hunted archery very hard?

 

[Mattfeth]

It’s been pretty dry so the deer have a lot of area to hide in the cattails. There’s plenty of deer and some nice one. Its just different hunting than most people are used to. I don’t personally hunt it but I do hear there has been more pressure during archery. I hunt around the refuge but on private. Are you looking for archery and muzzleloader?

 

[grizzly63]

My thought is if I draw either location muzzle loader, I would probably bow hunt a few days in advance of the season to scout things out. It never hurts to let bucks in your core area get another year older. Spread the harvest out so to speak. With the current draw system, I try to play my preference so I have options each year. Only once have I failed to draw any rifle tags. I think I hunted muzzy antlerless that year. Just enjoy being in the field. The thought that things being drier there meant more cat tails did cross my mind. I hunted the muzzy season 40 yrs ago there and had some fun. I remember after the first hour, there was 35 deer running around on an Island 800 yds out. One of them looked like a cow compared to the others. I couldn't convince my older wiser brother that we should go out there.

 

[Mattfeth]

That sounds like a solid plan for a lot of fun! I typically get the best responses from bucks to rattling in that area nov 5-15 so I would recommend having a set of those if you do go to sand lake.

 

[Mattfeth]

If decide to try for slwr and you do end up drawing the tag and have questions on deer numbers or anything pm me and I can try to answer them the best I can.