We call this tract The East End. It's a conveniently accessible, low-effort harvest opportunity where historically hunters have called us asking to hunt birds they can see from the county road. This is a great opportunity for hunters looking to check a South Dakota Merriam off their list!

This property is located just a few minutes north of Hot Springs here in Fall River County, on the southern edge of South Dakota’s Black Hills region. This 382-acre tract is a limestone-capped section of a working cattle ranch, set apart by steep canyon breaks that limit vehicle pressure and livestock traffic. While Polled Herefords are raised as the main part of the family ranching operation, the cattle seldom reach this corner of the family ranch due to the rugged nature of this area.

The top of the limestone cap is rocky with shorter vegetation, opening into pockets that turkeys use for strutting and display. Finger draws cut through the property, lined with ponderosa pine and thick stands of sumac bushes that provide shade, travel corridors, and concealment. We have an ephemeral spring in the draw directly below the area we want to provide access to, and we also have water tanks dispersed for cattle. 

The broken ground and defined draws allow hunters to set up along travel routes or work birds as they move between roost sites and open strutting zones. This is a straightforward, do-it-yourself style property in South Dakota's BH1 District.