Although it’s part of the state’s secondary pronghorn range, the west edge of 7-A borders the state’s primary range. This makes 7-A a definite hotspot for antelope, especially along the western portion of the unit.

This is an excellent pronghorn unit with plenty of food and water throughout. The western edge of 7-A borders the primary range for pronghorn. Knocking on a few doors to gain access could be beneficial in this unit.

Although Unit 7-A is part of North Dakota’s Slope Region, it doesn’t exactly fit typical Slope Region characteristics. It does have some rolling hills and short grass prairies, however, steep ridges, badlands buttes, and even some small wetlands can be found throughout the unit. Badlands and sandstone buttes also exist throughout this unit, and there are even some wetlands and state waterfowl production areas. The remainder of the unit is rolling hills and agricultural property. There are a large number of creeks running throughout this unit, providing a variety of spots for pronghorn to water. North Dakota’s Unit 7-A features badlands, sandstone buttes, brushy creek and river bottoms, and a lot of agricultural property. As you head east across the unit, you’ll see a mixture of ridges and badlands with crops and livestock pastures. The Heart River flows east from the far northwest corner of the unit at Belfield. It runs along the northern edge of the unit, providing a great spot for pronghorn to water. The Cannonball River flows east through the southern portion of the unit.

Public access is scattered throughout the unit and consists primarily of State Trust Land and PLOTS properties. Landowners will often put attached properties into the PLOTS program during the same year, providing some substantial pieces of huntable property. Highway 22 runs north and south between Dickinson and New England, providing access to most secondary roads in the unit, while Highway 8 runs north and south between Richardton and Mott, forming the unit’s eastern border. Between these roads, you can get to virtually any spot in the unit. There are some areas that don’t have great access due to large buttes and deep canyons, however, paved or maintained dirt roads form a fairly consistent grid across the unit.

Wheatgrass fields, grama grass prairies, and sagebrush cover much of the unit’s landscape. The semiarid soils support alfalfa, wheat, and barley production. Creek bottoms throughout this unit are forested with cottonwood and aspen, and some ash, elm, birch, oak, and juniper. Dense thickets of brush can be found in some of the draws and areas near creeks.

With I-94 forming the unit’s northern border, there’s no shortage of motels, RV parks, and campgrounds in and around the various towns. Along the southern border, New England is a decent-sized town with a campground, RV park, motel, and restaurant. Dickinson is the largest town in the area and has numerous sporting goods stores, hardware stores, and grocery stores.