Quick Tips
- Glass for pronghorns on pastures in the unit's eastern edge and southwest corner
- North Dakota's primary pronghorn range covers this entire unit
- Be prepared with water, food, and fuel = this is a remote unit
- Get familiar with the areas you'd like to hunt before the season starts
- Government Creek Road, Blacktail Road, and Magpie Road provide great access east of the Little Missouri River
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Antelope | 65"-75" | 80"+ |
On The Ground
Featuring 200,000+ acres of public lands and the state’s primary pronghorn range, Unit 1-A offers a great opportunity. The Little Missouri River flows through the center of the unit. Both sides of the river feature the Little Missouri National Grassland, providing thousands of acres of public access.
There aren’t a lot of roads throughout the unit, so putting in miles on foot provides the best opportunity for a large antelope.
Terrain
There is extremely rough terrain throughout the majority of the unit. Lots of deep canyons and buckbrush covered draws with steep, rough, forested draws and creek bottoms closer to the river. The bottoms of draws throughout this unit support thick groves of deciduous trees. You’ll find some great State Trust Lands and PLOTS areas to hunt along Beaver Creek. The western edge doesn’t have as much public access, however, there are huntable State Trust Lands and generally a bunch of PLOTS properties to support pronghorn hunters.
Roughly 1,105 square miles
41.6% public land
Elevations range from 2,000 – 2,800 ft
Vegetation
The Little Missouri River creates a heavily forested valley of deciduous trees, primarily aspen, and oak. There are also some thick stands of ponderosa pine along the river valley. Most creek bottoms and draws are forested with aspen and oak as well as some ash, elm, birch, and juniper. Buckbrush thickets are common in Unit 1-A as well. Primary grasses in this unit include blue grama grass prairies and wheatgrass fields.
Access
Most of this unit is extremely rough, with a few roads winding through the bottoms of draws. There are enough roads through the tough terrain to get you to a great access point. The farther you’re willing to hike in the badlands, the more opportunity you’ll have on the Little Missouri National Grassland. The oil industry is active in parts of this unit. Wherever there’s an active oilfield, the roads will be well maintained to accommodate the increased truck traffic. Government Creek Road branches off of I-94 and forms the southeastern border of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Government Creek Road is your best option for getting into the badlands from the southern end of the unit as it winds through valleys all the way to Little Missouri. It also tees to the east over Highway 85, the unit’s eastern border. North of here, Magpie Road and Blacktail Road will get you through the badlands. Road 16 runs north and south on the west side of the unit. Many secondary roads branch off of it for access west of the Little Missouri River as well.
Camping and Lodging
There are not many options for accommodations in the northern part of Unit 1-A. Killdeer is about 25 miles east of the unit on Road 200. Medora is centrally located along the southern boundary and offers lodging accommodations. Belfield is also a good town to stay in if you’re hunting the southern or eastern part of 1-A. Belfield has a sporting goods store for any last-minute supplies and motel accommodations. Belfield and Medora each have RV parks available as well. Some campgrounds allow tent camping along the Little Missouri River, but you’ll want to verify that they’re accessible before you hunt.
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