I've never hunted S Dakota, but in ID (shotgun only) and MT I have taken all of mine within about 40 yards. It sure is possible to shoot one strutting in a field or across a canyon at a couple hundred yards though.
Do the regs specifically require 700 ft/pounds for turkeys or was that in a general big game section? That seems kind of a lot to me. The few I have taken with a rifle were with a .17 Rem and that was more than enough.
Well I went back to the SD site and I was wrong. It has happened to me a couple of times. LOL! The only rifle that can be used is a muzzleloader. So I will be taking my 12 Gauge. Thanks for calling into question the rifle thing. That could have been ugly for me. Is there any particular type of terrain that those Merriams like to hang out in? I'll be hunting the Black Hills. And Thanks for your military service. As a Vietnam veteran I really appreciate your service to the country that we all cherish.
