South Dakota Deer Applications Open Earlier than Normal for 2019
As long as I can remember, deer applications in South Dakota open up sometime in June. With the changes to the deer draw structure the dates to apply for your tag are changing too.
Online applications for the main firearm deer seasons will open on May 24 and stay open until June 14. This isn't a massive change for most of the seasons, like West River and Black Hills. But traditionally the East River applications opened in June and didn't close until September.
Look for an extension on that when people don't pay attention and miss the deadline and complain loud enough.
As for the deer draw itself, the finalized and approved plan now calls for residents to be able to get up to two tags in the first draw from any of the seasons. If you only have one after the first draw you can draw from one of the other seasons in the second draw. Then in the third draw you can apply for one more, up to a total of three at that point. Starting in the fourth draw you can get any remaining tag you can get your hands on.
This new system isn't the apocalyptic end the original proposal would have likely proved to be. I still contend that the original plan was based more on revenue generation than improved opportunity. This new proposal, which still sees nonresidents shut out of left over draws until the fourth draw as has been in the past