Fall River County, South Dakota

Southern Black Hills ponderosa pine country transitioning sharply to mixed-grass plains and badlands topography. Red Canyon and the Cheyenne River breaks provide dramatic terrain features in the eastern portions. Angostura Reservoir sits in the southern portion and adds riparian habitat.

Moderate - less publicized than Custer County to the north, Fall River receives fewer hunters despite comparable species diversity. Buffalo Gap Grassland in particular sees light to moderate pressure for pronghorn and open-country mule deer.

OTC licenses for most deer; elk tags are draw-only and limited. Both mule deer and whitetails are present, with the transition zone between pine hills and grassland producing either species depending on terrain and season.

Elk hunting in the southern Hills draws dedicated hunters each fall. Pronghorn are highly accessible on Buffalo Gap National Grassland with good public land opportunities. Wild turkeys are well-established in the pine country. Black bear hunting is possible under the Black Hills season framework.

Buffalo Gap National Grassland offers some of the most accessible public-land pronghorn hunting in the Black Hills region; southern Black Hills elk hunting with lower pressure than the better-known northern units.