The Forest Service issues permits to graze cattle to the Central South Dakota cooperative Grazing District. Cattle are on the Grassland for about a six-month spring-to-fall season, although some winter grazing is permitted.

The Grassland's fertile mixed-grass prairie can produce tall, dense nesting cover for gamebirds. Greater prairie chicken a species of grouse whose range across the continent is less than 10 percent of what it once was, are common on the Grassland. So are a similar species - sharp-tailed grouse.

These birds nest on the prairie and feed on private cropland, which provide food that is especially important in winter. Productive cover potential, cropland interspersion and presence of prairie chickens combine to make this grassland nationally significant as grouse habitat. Hundreds of small dams also span grassland draws, providing brood-rearing habitat for dabbling ducks, such as mallards, gadwalls, and blue-winged teal. Eight percent of the grassland is rested from livestock grazing to help provide habitat for nesting birds.

Big-game animals also call the Grassland home. Both white-tailed and mule deer inhabit the area, although their numbers are limited by the lack of extensive trees and shrubs. A small but huntable population of pronghorn can also be found.

Prairie dog towns cover about 400 acres, providing habitat for many species of wildlife besides the rodents that created them.

Many of the grassland reservoirs that are habitat for waterfowl support large-mouthed bass and panfish. Some of these ponds are old and silted in, so their value as fisheries is only intermittent depending on the weather.