South Dakota Deer Population and Management Archive - South Dakota
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Annual Deer Kill, Estimated from Survey
1975 35,000
1976 29,500
1977 23,000
1978 19,500
1979 19,800
1980 32,000
1981 20,500
1982 35,000
1983 48,000
1984 56,000
1985 49,000
1986 49,000
1987 39,500
1988 44,000
1989 55,000
1990 53,000
1991 56,500
1992 62,000
1993 65,000
1994 65,718
1995 59,000
1996 52,000
1997 50,000
1998 46,000
1999 48,500
2000 51,000
2001 59,000
2002 61,500
2003 69,954
2004 74,000
2005 84,500
2006: 88,000
2007: 88,500
2008: 91,500
2009: 87,350
2010: 94,726
2011: 85,160
2012: 71,500
2013: 55,483
2014: 46,526
2015: 52,589
2016: 53,027
2017: 51,932
2018: 51,926
2019: 50,736
2020: 59,071
2021: 55,142
2022: 55,379
Deer Information from 2017 plan
Most data for 1975 to 2005 estimated from graph, so approximate.
In 2015, 30,687 whitetail bucks, 15,997 whitetail does, 4,888 mule bucks and 1,017 mule does
In 2013: 25,199 whitetail bucks, 23,275 whitetail does, 4,251 mule bucks. 2,758 mule does.
In 2012: 62,900 were whitetails (30,800 bucks, 32,100 does) and 8,600 were mule deer (4,900 bucks, 3,700 does.)
In 2011: 33,285 whitetail bucks, 40,772 whitetail does, 5,675 mule bucks and 5,428 mule does. Hunting stats
Hard winter of 2010-2011 reduced herd.
A Food Habits Study of Deer in the Southern Black Hills, 1970