Bennett County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Bennett County has 16,995 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (25 tracts centered in the county), 2 game production areas covering 2,856 acres, and 28,580 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 6.4% of the county's 761,873 acres.
Data updated October 2026. Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land and GPAs: GFP map layers. Units: GFP 2026 applications and harvest projections.
Game production area (GFP)National wildlife refuge (rules vary)School and public landWalk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Bennett CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 761,873 acres (1,190 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 16,995 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 25 (16,996 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 2, 2,856 acres |
| School and public land | 12,015 acres |
| Other public land | 16,565 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 11A, Deer unit 11B |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 11A |
| Towns | Martin and Allen |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Bennett County?
16,995 acres inside the county line, 2.2% of the county. 25 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (16,996 acres in all). Walk-In Areas and CREP land are private ground GFP leases for public hunting. GFP's public hunting atlas shows each tract.
Which game production areas are in Bennett County?
2 GPAs, 2,856 acres in all, largest first:
- Todd GPA: 2,696 acres
- Little White River GPA: 160 acres
How much public land is in Bennett County?
4.1% of the county is public land: 31,436 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 16,565 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 16,995 | 2.2% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 16,565 | 2.2% |
| School and public land | 12,015 | 1.6% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 2,856 | 0.4% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the Census county line from GFP public hunting atlas layers (Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land) and GFP Managed Lands; overlapping maps are counted once. GFP's handbook counts school and public land among South Dakota's public hunting lands; motor vehicles are not allowed on it except on designated, signed roads, trails and parking areas (page 73).
Which hunting units are in Bennett County?
The units GFP names for Bennett County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 11A | North Bennett | 189 | 112 (2025) |
| Deer unit 11B | South Bennett | 81 | 38 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 11A | Bennett/Oglala Lakota | 21 | 13 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Bennett County?
Highways: US 18 (about 45 miles in the county) and SD 73 (about 37 miles in the county). Towns: Martin and Allen.
How do the counties around Bennett compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 9,938 | 8 | 0 | 110,584 |
| Oglala Lakota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Todd | 2,315 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Bennett County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 16,995 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Bennett County's line, from 25 tracts centered in the county. No permission is needed to hunt a Walk-In Area; travel there is on foot except on signed trails, by GFP's handbook.
Are there game production areas in Bennett County?
Yes, 2: Todd (2,696 acres) and Little White River (160 acres).
What hunting units are in Bennett County?
GFP names deer units 11A and 11B and antelope unit 11A for Bennett County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Bennett County?
4.1% of the county, 31,436 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is national wildlife refuge at 16,565 acres.
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Where these numbers come from
- Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land and GPAs: GFP public hunting atlas layers (Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land) and GFP Managed Lands.
- Units: GFP 2026 draw applications and harvest projections.
- County line, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 boundaries, TIGER/Line and Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Walk-In Areas change each year; check GFP's current atlas before you go.
South Dakota hunting Jackson County Oglala Lakota County Todd County