2025 South Dakota West River Special Buck Draw Statistics: What Hunters Need to Know
South Dakota’s West River Special Buck hunt continues to be one of the state’s most popular deer hunting opportunities. Every year, resident and nonresident hunters compete for a limited number of licenses that provide access to some of South Dakota’s best mule deer and whitetail deer habitat west of the Missouri River.
The 2025 draw statistics reveal two very different stories. The WR101 One Any Deer license remains highly competitive, while the WR111 One Any Whitetail Deer license offered excellent draw success for many applicants.
Understanding these trends can help hunters develop a smarter application strategy for future seasons.
Understanding the Two License Types
The West River Special Buck hunt offers two primary license options.
WR101 – One Any Deer
The WR101 license allows hunters to harvest either a mule deer or a whitetail deer buck where legal within the hunt area.
Because of its flexibility and access to South Dakota’s famous mule deer country, this is one of the most competitive deer licenses in the state.
WR111 – One Any Whitetail Deer
The WR111 license is valid only for whitetail deer but often provides substantially better draw odds than the WR101 license.
Hunters whose primary goal is harvesting a mature whitetail should carefully consider this option.
WR101 One Any Deer Draw Results
Demand for the WR101 license remained extremely strong during the 2025 first application period.
Resident Draw Results
| Preference Group | Applicants | Licenses Issued |
| 2+ Preference Points | 180 | 180 |
| 1 Preference Point | 338 | 320 |
| 0 Preference Points | 222 | 0 |
| Total | 740 | 500 |
What the Numbers Tell Us
Every resident applicant with two or more preference points successfully drew a license.
Hunters with one preference point also enjoyed strong draw odds, with 320 of 338 applicants (94.7%) receiving a tag.
However, none of the 222 resident applicants with zero preference points were successful.
This demonstrates that even though WR101 remains attainable for residents, at least one preference point has effectively become the minimum requirement for most applicants.
Nonresident Draw Results
| Preference Group | Applicants | Licenses Issued |
| 2+ Preference Points | 422 | 422 |
| 1 Preference Point | 298 | 78 |
| 0 Preference Points | 284 | 0 |
| Total | 1,004 | 500 |
What the Numbers Tell Us
Competition was considerably stronger for nonresident hunters.
Every applicant with two or more preference points successfully drew a license.
However, only 78 of 298 hunters with one preference point (26%) received a tag.
Applicants with zero preference points were unsuccessful.
For nonresident hunters hoping to pursue mule deer under the WR101 license, building preference points has become increasingly important.
WR111 One Any Whitetail Deer Draw Results
The WR111 license produced very different results.
Unlike WR101, demand was well below the number of available licenses during the first application period.
First Application Period
Residents
| Applicants | Licenses Issued |
| Total Applicants | 75 |
| Total Licenses Issued | 75 |
Every resident applicant successfully drew a license.
This included applicants with:
- Two or more preference points
- One preference point
- Zero preference points
- Second-choice applications
Nonresidents
| Applicants | Licenses Issued |
| Total Applicants | 362 |
| Total Licenses Issued | 362 |
Every nonresident applicant also received a license during the first application period.
Even hunters with zero preference points successfully drew.
Second Application Period
One of the most interesting findings from the 2025 statistics was that licenses were still available after the first draw.
Resident Results
| Applicants | Licenses Issued |
| Total Applicants | 240 |
| Total Licenses Issued | 240 |
Every resident applicant received a license during the second application period.
This clearly indicates that demand for WR111 licenses remained below the available allocation.
Third Application Period
Only five licenses remained for the third application period.
Resident Results
| Preference Group | Applicants | Licenses Issued |
| 2+ Preference Points | 9 | 5 |
| 1 Preference Point | 5 | 0 |
| 0 Preference Points | 69 | 0 |
With only five licenses available, competition increased dramatically.
Comparing the Two License Types
The 2025 statistics highlight two very different application strategies.
| License | Competition | Preference Points |
| WR101 One Any Deer | High | Generally required |
| WR111 One Any Whitetail Deer | Low | Often not required |
Hunters seeking the opportunity to hunt either mule deer or whitetail deer should expect significantly more competition for the WR101 license.
Those whose primary objective is harvesting a whitetail deer may find the WR111 license offers much better draw odds.
What Hunters Should Expect Going Forward
The 2025 draw statistics demonstrate that not all West River Special Buck licenses are equally competitive.
WR101 Continues to Be One of South Dakota’s Most Competitive Deer Licenses
Interest in the Any Deer license remains exceptionally strong because it provides hunters with the flexibility to pursue both mule deer and whitetail deer.
Resident hunters generally needed at least one preference point to draw successfully, while nonresident hunters benefited greatly from having two or more preference points.
For hunters specifically interested in South Dakota’s renowned mule deer hunting opportunities, building preference points remains the best long-term strategy.
WR111 Provides an Excellent Alternative
The WR111 One Any Whitetail Deer license offered outstanding draw success in 2025.
Every applicant received a license during the first application period, and additional licenses remained available for a second application period.
For hunters whose goal is harvesting a quality South Dakota whitetail, WR111 represents an excellent opportunity without the level of competition seen in the Any Deer draw.
Match Your Application to Your Hunting Goals
The 2025 statistics highlight the importance of choosing the license that best fits your hunting objectives.
If your goal is to hunt mule deer or have the flexibility to pursue either species, WR101 is the better option, but applicants should expect greater competition and plan to build preference points.
If your primary interest is hunting whitetail deer, WR111 offers significantly better draw odds and a realistic opportunity to hunt West River South Dakota without waiting years to draw.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 South Dakota West River Special Buck draw statistics provide valuable insight for anyone planning a future deer hunt.
Hunters pursuing the WR101 One Any Deer license should expect continued competition and should consider building preference points to improve their chances of drawing.
At the same time, the WR111 One Any Whitetail Deer license remains one of the state’s best opportunities for hunters looking to experience West River deer hunting with excellent draw success.
By reviewing draw statistics each year and selecting the license that best matches your hunting goals, hunters can improve their chances of drawing a tag and enjoying a successful South Dakota deer hunt.