I've been going to South Dakota since 1999. Missed this year due to jobsite obligations, so in total I have missed about 4 years going.
My main area is the Ft.Pierre grasslands, and then out on the Buffalo Gap Grasslands(Fall River District). Camping at the Oahe Downstream State camgpground has worked well, and they have a great gun range(free state-owned) right across the street. There are plenty of acres available within 30 minutes of Ft.Pierre.
I have always gone out the week before Labor Day, then on out to the Black Hills for L.D. weekend. Allows for shooting and fly fishing. My Dad and I went out late June a few years ago. Got woke up one night due to thunderstorms and hail. Soaked everything. Sitting in the truck at 7a.m., looking at the weather, we decided to cut the trip short because they were calling for rain every day. Rain on the grasslands is not a good thing- they call the soil out there prairie gumbo, when wet it will ball up on your tires and get you stuck. It almost happened to me once when I got into some tire tracks that were still muddy.
One thing to be aware of is road closures. From Aug.30-June 15 in some areas and Dec.1-June 15 in other areas, certain roads on the grasslands are closed to vehicular travel(thank you to the idiots that made this possible). Getting a Motor Vehicle Usage Map is a smart idea. We always stay on the designated roads(and these roads consist of a single-track, unimproved road) until we get to a good spot, then pull just off the road and take our gear to where we want to shoot from. We have always taken our booger benches, a tripod chair, sand bags, guns, and ammo. This year we bought BOG fieldpods, but will have to try them out next year.
Out on the Buffalo Gap, I used to shoot at an area on the bluffs above the Cheyenne River with Pine Ridge Reservation across the river. In 2010, it got hit by plague, and has never recovered. A shame, because I could go back a half-mile off the road and still have 500+ yds to shoot. Last year we found a spot near the Wyoming border that was great. An out-of-the-way area that we could tell hadn't been shot at very much. There are areas on the grasslands that are great, sometimes you have to go looking for them.
I can't give any info on outfitters, because I have never used them. Shooting on Reservations are a whole 'nother ballgame, they have their own set of rules, so I have never went that route either.
The one word of advice I always pass on is this: STAY HYDRATED! Drink a half a bottle of water every 1/2 hour. I dehydrated myself one year, and that is no fun. It gets hot on the grasslands, and with the low humidity it doesn't seem hot(it's a dry heat!). That can sneak up on you fast. I even use the same rule when I'm standing in a trout stream in the Black Hills.
Any other questions you have, ask away. I am no expert, but I have learned a few things over the years. Most important is that I have a great time and enjoy getting away from everyday stress.
That sounds like a lot of fun!
It is!
Here's a link to the map I keep in my truck of the colonies on Ft.Pierre(PDF download). When we stop in at the ranger station at Ft.Pierre, they usually have an updated map we can look at.
The big one, Timber Creek/Cactus Flat, is over 300 acres. There is a stock dam at the end of a long swale. We will set up about 20-30 feet off the road and shoot down into the flat and on the other side of the flat. My rangefinder is useless past 250 yards, but using my scope to range I was shooting at p-dogs across the swale at around 600yds. Most of our shots are in the 250-350 yd range.
It is!
Here's a link to the map I keep in my truck of the colonies on Ft.Pierre(PDF download). When we stop in at the ranger station at Ft.Pierre, they usually have an updated map we can look at.
The big one, Timber Creek/Cactus Flat, is over 300 acres. There is a stock dam at the end of a long swale. We will set up about 20-30 feet off the road and shoot down into the flat and on the other side of the flat. My rangefinder is useless past 250 yards, but using my scope to range I was shooting at p-dogs across the swale at around 600yds. Most of our shots are in the 250-350 yd range.
.Wondering what you were shooting with for the 600yd shots?
I was using my Savage 12BVSS in .223(also have one in 22-250). I mostly shoot a 50gr Sierra Bltzking handload. For the 600 yd shots, it would take a couple trys before connecting... I'm not good at calculating wind.
We weren't sure if we could take a badger that popped up on us, but after a quick call to the outfitter, we dropped one at 270 yds, and then when his buddy came out to check on him, we dropped him within a couple feet of the first. I still wish we kept those to mount.
I had a badger pop up after a shot one time, I was shooting on the area above the Cheyenne. I was still looking through the scope when it popped up. Mean looking buggers.
So, MRockwell, do those USFS colony maps show public land, or mostly private?
That one I linked to just shows the p-dog colonies on the grasslands. A full grasslands map($14 online) will show private and public areas, the one I have is like a road map, with grasslands shaded green and it also has topo marks. The Motor Vehicle Use Map(free) also shows private and public land areas, with the grasslands shaded gray. The colony map I linked, I picked up a paper copy at the Ft.Pierre ranger office. The Buffalo Gap office in Hot Springs has a big map on the countertop, and they are usually nice about giving direction as to where productive colonies are located. They don't have a colony map like Ft.Pierre.
So some of you are just driving out and camping and then shooting in public land? That makes the trip much cheaper I would imagine.