Sweetgrass includes airport transportation, lodging, gourmet meals and top-shelf beverages, professional guides and dogs, bird processing and packaging, ammunition, and has a variety of quality 12- and 20-gauge guns available for rent if you choose to travel without firearms. A typical hunt itinerary is as follows:

Arrival Day:

• Airport Pick-ups
• Check-In
• Lunch
• Sporting Clays
• Cocktails in the Whiskey Bar
• Dinner at the Lodge

Hunt Day 1:

• Breakfast in the Rendezvous
• Safety Briefing
• Hunt Duck Creek Breaks
• Driven Hunt in Berm Canyon
• Gourmet Lunch in Duck Creek Field Tent
• Hunt Cottonwood Canyon
• Free Time: activities such as ATV tours, equestrian trail rides, or culinary experiences for non-hunting guests provided throughout the day
• Cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres in the Saloon at the Rendezvous
• Dinner at Rendezvous with live entertainment

Hunt Day 2:

• Breakfast in the Rendezvous and safety briefing
• Hunt Mae Mae Creek Bottom
• Driven Hunt Mae Mae Cliffside
• Gourmet lunch in Mae Mae Field Tent
• Hunt Thunderbasin Grassland (best chance for wild sharptail grouse)
• Free Time: activities such as ATV tours, equestrian trail rides, or culinary experiences for non-hunting guests provided throughout the day
• Western dinner and activities in the backcountry at a 1910 Chuckwagon
• Late night at the Saloon in the Rendezvous

Hunt Day 3:

• Breakfast in the Rendezvous and safety briefing
• Hunt in the Forest, School Section Pasture
• Driven Hunt at Forest Cliffside
• Gourmet lunch in Forest Field Tent
• Hunt in Forest, Moore Pasture
• Free Time: activities such as ATV tours, equestrian trail rides, or culinary experiences for non-hunting guests provided throughout the day
• Cocktail and Hors d'oeuvres on Covey Patio
• Dinner at Covey Dining Room and Cellar

Departure Day:

• Breakfast in the Rendezvous
• Check-out
• Transfer to Airport

Sweetgrass at Thunderbasin is comprised of nearly 6,000 acres of the Western Black Hills, surrounded by 40,000 acres of national and state forest service land. A Sweetgrass wingshoot is for unlimited birds of walk-up and driven-style upland shooting in four unique hunting areas; each area has varied topography (no corn rows) and beautiful national park-like scenery. Hunting venues include: The Duck Creek Breaks, The Mae Mae Grassland, Cottonwood Canyon, and The Forest. Each space offers unique wild topography comparable with iconic national park scenery. Custom field tents are available for lunchtime hospitality, and comfortable transportation will move you around the ranch—once you arrive at Sweetgrass your highway experience ends. Designated as an “end of the road ranch,” there are 19 miles of dirt road leading to this “middle of nowhere” destination (yet only 45 minutes from an airport). Because Sweetgrass is designed with variety in mind, you can expect to enjoy diverse habitats for walk-up hunts mixed with driven-style shooting opportunities every day, and a once-in-a-lifetime western experience. Sweetgrass Ranch is a working ranch, it is not a theme park. Elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, turkey, bison, horses, and cattle will be free roaming on the property. Although unlikely to be seen, snakes and predators including coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, and bears call this part of the world their home, too. The livestock and wildlife add immeasurably to the Ranch experience. Sweetgrass maintains a culinary garden, worm composting farm, greenhouse, apiary, and a farm with dairy cows, goats, chickens, rabbits, and ducks all raised sustainably and designed to provide the freshest ingredients for your cuisine.

Are there booking minimums?

Reservations are required in advance, and we accept bookings based on availability, with a three-hunter minimum per reservation. Six hunters are required for a private hunting party, and exclusive use of the ranch requires a minimum of 18 guns or consumption of all 21 rooms.

How many birds can I expect to shoot?

It depends how good of a shooter you are! Sweetgrass has a healthy native population of birds in addition to the ones we supply to the field for the season. The level of the shooter increases the odds, but you can expect hundreds of opportunities.

What airport do I fly in to?

Gillette Campbell County Airport (GCC) has daily flights on United Airlines to/from Denver. Gate One is the FBO at this airport with full services for private aircraft.

Do I need to rent a car?

No. If you are flying into Gillette, we will pick you up.

Can I drive?

Yes. We provide very detailed driving directions. It is not advised to trust GPS. Cell service is limited on the route to the ranch, and it often will direct drivers down old service roads.

Can I bring my own dogs?

Sweetgrass provides a hunt master, hunt assistant, professional dog handlers, and well-trained hunting dogs skilled in the diverse terrain of Sweetgrass Ranch. Adding an unknown canine to the mix can cause confusion and create chaos in the field. We do not allow outside dogs nor provide kenneling services on property to guarantee the quality of the hunt for every guest in the field.

How difficult is the terrain?

Sweetgrass hunts vary from traditional pheasant hunts in that you’ll conduct longer walk-ups of greater distance with breaks, rather than several short walk-ups. The terrain is not overly difficult, and we mow walking paths for those that require an easier path or prefer not to wade through the grass. We have follow vehicles for anyone who needs to take a break.

Can I book a one-day hunt?

In 2024, Sweetgrass will publish dates available for single day hunts for locals in the area, or for folks just passing through. Reservations will be required in advance.

Do you have RV hook ups?

Yes, we have three RV spaces with electricity and a separate gray/black water waste location.