About The Ranch

This unique ranch property encompasses 4000 acres with 1500 acres and approximately 2.5 miles of wooded river bottom along the White River. There are many stands of woods separated by alfalfa fields, hayfields and food plots scattered throughout. The upper reaches of the ranch includes gulches and ravines that work their way up to the high ground. In addition to whitetail deer, the property holds a respectable number of mule deer and offer spot and stalk hunting for those that are looking for an added challenge.

Located in Lyman County, 18 miles south of Kennebec, SD and 28 miles northeast of Winner, SD it's in the heart of whitetail country where a number of the state's record book whitetails have come from over the years. According to Boone & Crockett record books, four of the top 50 typical whitetail bucks have come from Lyman County. In fact, the SD #2 buck (ranked 84th overall) and scored 192 net was shot on the ranch in 1958. The ranch holds a large number of Pope & Young bucks and there a definitely a few Boone & Crockett quality whitetail and mule deer that somehow keep giving our hunters the slip and/or have been the lucky survivors of shots gone astray.

The past few seasons have been a huge success. Last year we hosted Larry Weishuhn for his “World of Whitetails” show that airs on Versus. He rattled in lots of bucks and got some tremendous footage, finally tagging out on a mature 10-point. It was not the biggest buck he saw, but after four days of hunting they needed to wrap up the show. Check out the recently updated photos from 2009, along with some of the deer camera shots we’ve added.

After many years of trying different foot plot varieties, and dealing with droughts and then flooding we’ve decided to invest in a new alfalfa field, and smaller turnip and soy bean fields. We’re just hoping we can get some stable weather in 2010 that will ensure we have great early and late season plots. The key to good antler growth is to provide good forage with a high protein and mineral content so we can ensure the best possible opportunity for our hunters to shoot a trophy animal every year. In addition to our healthy heard of whitetail and mule deer, the ranch holds hundreds of Merriam's Turkeys and offers a great bow hunting experience for the novice to advanced bow hunter (archery tags are unlimited). Shotgun hunting is also allowed, but drawing a tag is tough.

All of the hunts on the property are self-guided and/or semi-guided which can add a lot to the total enjoyment on your hunt. We provide assistance in providing the lay of the land, maps with GPS coordinate of all stands and food plots and our rancher and his wife are always there to meet our hunters and give them a quick tour of the property. It's up to you and the other hunters in camp to decide where everyone should hunt. With close to (30) stands and/or blinds to choose from, there are always plenty of options to choose from. Deer drives are not allowed on the property and vehicle use is limited to certain areas. In addition, we have certain areas of the ranch that are identified as sanctuaries and ask that hunters stay out of them so the deer have some areas to go that are completely undisturbed.

Since QDM is a primary goal, all hunters are asked to shoot whitetails with at least 8-points and a 16" inside spread (approximately 130 class) and 4x4 or bigger mule deer with a 24"+ or better spread. Our goal is to maintain the integrity of the ranch and provide true trophy potential for all hunters.

In addition to our healthy heard of whitetail and mule deer, the ranch holds hundreds of Merriam's Turkeys and offers a great bow hunting experience for the novice to advanced bow hunter (archery tags are unlimited). Shotgun hunting is also allowed, but drawing a tag is tough.

All of the hunts on the property are self-guided which can add a lot to the total enjoyment on your hunt. We provide assistance in providing the lay of the land, maps with GPS coordinate of all stands and food plots and our rancher and his wife are always there to meet our hunters and give them a quick tour of the property. It's up to you and the other hunters in camp to decide where everyone should hunt. With close to (30) stands and/or blinds to choose from, there are always plenty of options to choose from. Deer drives are not allowed on the property and vehicle use is limited to certain areas. In addition, we have certain part of the ranch we have deemed as sanctuaries and ask that hunters stay out of them so the deer have some areas to go that are completely undisturbed.  Since QDM is a primary goal, all hunters are asked to shoot whitetails with at least 8-points and a 16" inside spread (approximately 130 class) and 4x4 or bigger mule deer with a 24"+ or better spread. Our goal is to maintain the integrity of the ranch and provide true trophy potential for all hunters.

All hunters are encouraged to bring additional stands and/or blinds to set up in areas they feel hold the best potential, but we do have the best areas covered and really do know where the deer tend to move. You will also have the option to hunt the hills and coulees if you want a shot at a trophy mule deer (or catch one of our monster whitetails that always seem to slip out and bed up top), as it offers a completely different and exciting hunting experience.

Openings for rifle hunts are going quickly, so you’ll want to lock up your hunt dates now. Same goes for our rut bow hunts.

For more information or to book your hunt,
contact Rich Sundberg info@southdakotawhitetails.com