Unit 117 South Black Hills (Area 117)
Ponderosa foothills and river-bottom whitetails on the South Dakota line — mostly private, but the timber holds mature bucks.
Black Hills · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
759
sq mi
Public land
22%
approx.
Elevation
4,400–5,800
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 117 covers the South Black Hills country of far-northeastern Wyoming, running from Interstate 90 at the Wyoming–South Dakota line south toward the Upton and Newcastle plains. It is a transition landscape where the pine-clad Black Hills National Forest breaks down into ranchland, creek bottoms and rolling grassland. Whitetail deer thrive in the draws, hay meadows and cottonwood bottoms, while mule deer hold on the higher timbered ridges and open breaks. Access is the defining challenge — this is predominantly private ranch country with scattered public timber.
Terrain
Rolling foothills stepping up from open plains near Upton to ponderosa pine ridges and limestone breaks along the Black Hills National Forest fringe. Drainages like Sand Creek cut wooded corridors through ranchland.
Cover: Ponderosa pine and Rocky Mountain juniper on the ridges, with mixed-grass prairie, sagebrush parks, hay meadows, and cottonwood/green-ash bottoms along creeks.
Landmarks: Black Hills National Forest boundary · Sand Creek · Moskee Road corridor · Bear Lodge Mountains foothills · Interstate 90
Access
Roughly three-quarters private, so access is the hard part. The USFS Black Hills NF parcels and scattered state sections are the public backbone; knock on doors early and check WGFD Crook County Walk-In / Hunter Management Areas, several of which fall in or near this country. Verify state-section and forest-boundary access before hunting — private inholdings are common.
Managers: private ranch, USFS Black Hills NF, BLM, WY state trust
Access points: Sand Creek Road · Moskee Road · US-16 / US-85 out of Upton and Newcastle · Black Hills NF forest roads off the eastern boundary
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
common qualityThe signature deer of the Black Hills bottoms and ag edges. Whitetails use creek corridors, hay meadows and timber pockets, and mature bucks are killed most years by hunters with private access or patience on public timber.
- →Hunt creek-bottom cottonwoods and green-ash draws at first and last light
- →Glass hay-meadow edges and field corners at dawn during the late-October/November rut
- →Still-hunt or stand-hunt pine-timber funnels between bedding ridges and feed
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer share the country, favoring the higher timbered ridges, sage parks and open breaks over the ag bottoms the whitetails prefer. Numbers are lower than whitetails but public-timber ridges can produce a respectable buck.
- →Glass open sage parks and pine-ridge edges morning and evening
- →Work the transition between forest timber and grassland
- →Push brushy draws mid-day where bucks bed
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk have expanded through the Wyoming Black Hills and can be encountered in the forested northern portion, though numbers here are modest and largely tied to the national-forest timber and adjacent ranches.
- →Focus on the heaviest Black Hills NF timber near the forest boundary
- →Locate at dawn with bugles in September
- →Watch meadow and clearcut edges at last light
Pro tips
- →Whitetails are the numbers game here — key on creek bottoms, ag edges and timber funnels rather than open ridges.
- →Time a hunt for the November rut when mature whitetail bucks abandon their nocturnal pattern.
- →Secure private permission or a Walk-In/HMA plan well before the season — public timber is limited and gets pressured.
- →Glass from the grassland-timber transition; deer feed low and bed in the pines.
- →Merriam's turkeys share this country if you want a mixed-bag fall hunt.
Watch out for
- !Roughly 77% private ranch — trespass risk is high and access must be locked down in advance
- !Private inholdings and unmarked boundaries inside the forest fringe; carry a GPS land-ownership layer
- !Clay/gumbo two-tracks become impassable when wet
- !Early-season fire restrictions and late-season winter storms
Logistics
Upton and Newcastle offer basic gas, groceries and lodging; Sundance and Gillette are the larger service hubs. Fly into Rapid City, SD or Gillette, WY. Cell coverage is patchy in the timber and draws. Expect gumbo mud on ranch two-tracks after rain or snow.
Nearest towns: Upton, Newcastle, Sundance, Moorcroft
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: WGFD Hunt Planner · WGFD 2024 Deer Hunt Area Maps · HuntScore — WY Hunt Area 117 South Black Hills · WGFD Crook County Walk-In Areas
FAQ
- How big is Unit 117 in Wyoming?
- Unit 117 (South Black Hills (Area 117)) covers about 759 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,400 to 5,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 117?
- Approximately 22% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch, USFS Black Hills NF, BLM, WY state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 117?
- Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 117 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.