This unit is located in the eastern central portion of the state, surrounding the James River. It encompasses all of Spink County, SD. This unit is primarily dedicated to private farms and agriculture, with almost no public land. Very small portions of walk-in access are concentrated to the northeast corner of the unit, with state land frontage of rivers and lakes to the south west. If you plan on coming to this unit, prior arrangements with a private landowner are recommended. The terrain consists of rolling hills carved by gullies and drainages with vegetation typical to a prairie grassland and a wetland environment near the James River and lakes.

With very limited public access there are few hunters headed to this unit without a plan around hunting some private property.

This unit consists of rolling hills, carved by gullies and drainages. The James River flows south through the central portion of the unit providing river bed frontage and denser vegetation. The terrain slopes to the south, its highest point in the north east corner at 1,424 ft above sea level. It is primarily devoted to farming and agriculture with a growing coverage of government partnered CRP. There is plenty of water in this unit beyond the James River, with several smaller branches of the river dispersing in all directions and a cluster of smaller lakes in the southwest.

This unit has the typical grasses and vegetation found in a grassland environment outside of the areas of the unit that have been turned for agricultural purposes. A mix of bluestem prairie, wheatgrass, and needlegrass will be present in natural areas throughout the unit. As you approach the James River, which stretches from north to south in this unit, vegetation becomes more dense, providing nesting grounds for migrant birds. Government partnered CRP is growing throughout the unit, with a healthy mix of food plot seed and grassland restorations being implemented across the state.

Access to this unit is by US highway 212 that runs east and west, central to the county. To the north, State Road 20 traverses the entire span of the unit, also running east to west. Highway 281 will allow you to travel north to south in the western portion of the unit, with State Road 37 doing the same with minimal redirection in the east. All of these roads extend beyond the unit boundary giving access to larger centers if necessary. No roads run on the borders of this particular unit. The entire unit is accessible with a mixture of paved or marked roads.

At the junction of US Highway 212 and US Highway 281, is Redfield, population 2,333. It boasts a number of local and chain restaurants as well as multiple gas stations, convenience stores, and lodging options including a Super 8. This location can provide visitors with everything they need. Local Have-A-Rest Campground provides campsites. Redfield is serviced by Redfield Municipal Airport and Community Memorial Hospital.

Smaller cities along the junctions of the major roads are Frankfort, Doland, Conde, and Mellette.

Just north of the unit along US Highway 281, is Aberdeen, a major metropolitan area with a regional airport and anything visitors may require including multiple lodging options of all varieties, grocery and sportsman’s stores, gas stations, and restaurants. Aberdeen also hosts more than one hospital in case of emergency services.