Unit 23A

The string of lakes running through the unit—Culver, East Coteau, Wigdale, Lake Sutton, School, Rush, Round, and Oliver—serve as obvious visual references and water sources. These shallow prairie lakes are reliable navigation aids and natural gathering points for deer. Crow Timber Creek and North Branch Cobb Creek form the major drainage corridors with associated riparian brush that concentrate wildlife.

Buffalo Hill offers modest elevation relief for orientation. Conner Slough and South Slough provide additional wetland habitat and glassing vantage points. The settled areas (Gary, Goodwin, Toronto) establish clear boundaries and access points for planning.

Elevation spans just over 900 feet between the lowest and highest points, keeping the entire unit in the lower prairie zone with no alpine or montane terrain. Habitat is dominated by grassland and prairie with scattered brush, wetland margins, and riparian vegetation along creek drainages. Tree cover is minimal and concentrated near water features—small stands of cottonwood and willow along Crow Timber Creek and other drainages provide the only significant woody cover.

The landscape is what it appears: open country with water being the dominant landscape feature, creating islands of cover in an otherwise exposed prairie matrix.

The well-connected road network (2.55 miles of road per square mile) means access is easy—nearly every section can be reached by vehicle or short walk from a road. However, 98 percent private ownership creates the real access challenge; hunting requires explicit landowner permission. Small towns distributed throughout provide natural staging bases.

The straightforward terrain and abundant road access likely draw hunting pressure wherever landowner access is granted, but vast areas remain inaccessible to those without permission. The low terrain complexity and flat country mean pressure concentrates near known water features and public road crossings.

Unit 23A occupies a moderate-sized block of northeastern South Dakota prairie in the glaciated landscape between the Missouri River drainage system and the eastern agricultural belt. The unit is characterized by low elevation and flat to gently rolling terrain with scattered small towns (Gary, Goodwin, Toronto, Altamont) marking the cultural geography. Nearly all land is privately owned—98 percent—making this a working landscape of ranches, grain farms, and pastures intermixed with the wild country.

Despite high private ownership, the well-developed road network and numerous accessible water features define the hunting landscape.

Water is abundant and distributed throughout the unit—a defining characteristic of this glaciated prairie landscape. Multiple permanent and semi-permanent lakes provide reliable water sources, while Crow Timber Creek and Cobb Creek form the primary drainage corridors with associated wetlands and sloughs. Seasonal wetlands and smaller ponds expand the water network after spring runoff and precipitation.

This abundance of water is critical habitat; deer concentrate near these features for drinking and the vegetation they support. During dry periods, the lakes and springs become focal points for deer movement, making them strategic hunting locations.

Both mule deer and whitetail deer inhabit this prairie landscape, though whitetails dominate in this region's more brushy drainages and agricultural settings. Early season hunting focuses on glassing open prairie and water approaches from distance, as the treeless terrain offers long sightlines. Mule deer use the open country for feeding at dawn and dusk; whitetails bed in creek-bottom brush and sloughs.

Mid-season hunting becomes tactical—driving drainages, working creek bottoms, and positioning along known water sources where deer concentrate. Late season deer push toward remaining food sources and reliable water. Success requires landowner relationships and concentrating effort where cover and water intersect.