Looking for Advice, South Dakota Black Hills Bull Elk Tag!

[Noobie]

So got drawn for an any rifle elk tag in SD, whole month of October - zone H3. Being from the SE part of the state, rarely get out that far west except maybe for antelope. Really would appreciate any tips, especially from locals, as to where/how to locate elk - looking for a big one.
The national forest crosses into west central WY, north of the Cheyenne River and south of highway 16, so any WY residents are more than welcome to chime in!
This is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime tag as it normally takes 20-25 years for the draw.

 

[Wyo37]

Never done this hunt but I would suggest looking for good vantage points and glass. If you hunt the early part of October you'll probably catch the tail end of the rut and be able to locate via bugles.

At the end of the day just enjoy it. Live in the moment and don't stress too hard because it's a hard to draw tag.

 

[rookie88]

So got drawn for an any rifle elk tag in SD, whole month of October - zone H3. Being from the SE part of the state, rarely get out that far west except maybe for antelope. Really would appreciate any tips, especially from locals, as to where/how to locate elk - looking for a big one.
The national forest crosses into west central WY, north of the Cheyenne River and south of highway 16, so any WY residents are more than welcome to chime in!
This is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime tag as it normally takes 20-25 years for the draw.

How did your hunt go? My father in law drew that unit after 20yrs of applying. Any advice?

 

[Noobie]

How did your hunt go? My father in law drew that unit after 20yrs of applying. Any advice?

1. Get the list of EHAP areas and reserve one ASAP.
2. See 1 above.
Have a great time!

 

[rookie88]

Thanks for the advice. How did your hunt go? Did you have many encounters?