This valley was an excellent habitat for buffalo, with open grassland north, west, and southwest of the sinkhole serving as a herd-gathering area. Natural drainage, supplemented by man-made structures, provided drivelines, and the sinkhole itself was an excellent trap. Less than a mile south, the Black Hills provided water, wood, and other resources the Indians required. A large processing camp had to be out of sight and preferably downwind of the sinkhole. The landscape provided all of the essentials for a successful communal hunt, attracting Indians to this location.