About Us

Ranch History

      The ranch is a working cattle and farming entity. The ranch itself is the Simmons
Ranch, but with hunting (mainly pheasants) becoming a part of our production we've
named that aspect of it Bear Creek Pheasant Ranch.

      According to a story told by local native Sioux Indians, back in the middle of the
1880's a small band of people were camped along a stream of water to the
northeast of the ranch and a man was out looking for game. He found a bear in the
brush and came back to camp to get the other men to help. The women were told to
stay in camp and the men set out to get the bear. Of Course, curiosity got the better
of one of the women and she set out to investigate and see for herself why the
women had to be left behind. Just as she topped a hill the bear was rousted from
the creek bottom and chose the hill the woman was on to make his escape.
Whether the bear followed the woman or she was in his way, they both ended up in
camp together. One version of the story says the women dispatched the bear
themselves, another is that the bear did nothing more than scare the residents and
went on his way. That's how the creek, Bear Runs Through The Lodges, came to be
and is now shortened to just Bear Creek. The mouth of the creek starts in our east
pasture running north.

Back in 1926 my father, Van Simmons, came to this part of the country from eastern
South Dakota because of the land and a sense of adventure. Most of it was still
unbroken prairie and had just been opened up for white settlement which were few
at the time because of the fear that many still felt about the local natives. This part of
southwestern South Dakota had until the past couple of decades been part of the
native Sioux Reservation. A great deal of western history was made in this area,
such as the last battle of the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry and the Sioux at Wounded Knee
30 miles to the west of the ranch. That and other local western lore can be talked
about over coffee and pie after the hunt.

      It didn't take Dad long to become friendly with the Indian People of the area and
became a trusted and loyal friend. The Indian People at the time were able to sell
the land granted to them through treaties and Dad was offered and accepted the
chance to buy part of the Wallace and Belle Imitates The Dog land grant. To do this
he had to get a loan and then to help re-pay the loan he had to go back to Chicago
and work in the railroad yards leaving the newly purchased land in the care of his
brother, Volney, who came to S.D. and developed a saw mill for his employment.

              After trying a few grain crops that had been suitable for the eastern part of
the state, he found little success with winter wheat and grains to be fed to his
livestock. He slowly built up a herd of cattle, horses, and hogs and with his earnings
he felt he was able to marry my mother, Delia, and purchase more land from people
such as the Spotted Eagles and Bear Killers. Dad and mom enjoyed the friendship
of the Indian People and our family continue to benefit from this mutual respect.

      My parents put in shelter belts to cut down on the winds and also for wildlife
habitat. The family has continued to try to improve and restore more of nature's
bounty. In 1991, Elmer and Sharon bought the ranch from Elmer's Mother. We have
planted more trees and corn to develop a pheasant habitat among other
improvements. Our family would like to offer this to you by opening up our land to
hunt and our home to enjoy.

      As noted in another section you'll notice the proximity of the Badlands and the
Black Hills of western South Dakota. This area is scenic during the fall and many
people prefer to spend their vacation during this time to get away from the heat of the
Dakota summer. Also, there are various other local attractions such as the LaCreek
National Refuge which is abundant with waterfowl at this time. I mention this
because whether you come to spend a day or a week there is ample opportunities to
enjoy other aspects of our area. After your hunting trip, take a few days to be a tourist
and immerse yourself in the slower pace of life our state has to offer. Make our state
your state of mind.
                                                                                      Elmer Simmons
                                                                                      Owner/Manager