Brookings County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Brookings County has 2,794 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (23 tracts centered in the county), 14 game production areas covering 2,775 acres, and 6,625 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 2.4% of the county's 515,163 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)Waterfowl production areaState park or recreation area (rules vary)Other GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Brookings CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 515,163 acres (805 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 2,794 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 16 (2,182 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 7 (612 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 14, 2,775 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 6,625 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 06A |
| Towns | Brookings, Elkton, Volga, White and Aurora |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Brookings County?
2,794 acres inside the county line, 0.5% of the county. 16 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (2,182 acres in all), and 7 CREP tracts (612 acres). 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 Brookings County?
14 GPAs, 2,775 acres in all, largest first:
- Moe Slough - East GPA: 576 acres
- Oakwood Lake GPA: 500 acres
- Moe Slough - West GPA: 354 acres
- Black Slough - Brookings GPA: 223 acres
- Deer Creek GPA: 211 acres
- Kvernmoe Slough GPA: 197 acres
- Cheevers Slough GPA: 195 acres
- Beck GPA: 161 acres
- Winter Haven GPA: 118 acres
- Lake Sinai N. GPA: 90 acres
- Pederson Slough GPA: 63 acres
- Mehegan GPA: 49 acres
- Nelson - Brookings GPA: 31 acres
- Oakwood Lake - Access GPA: 6 acres
How much public land is in Brookings County?
1.8% of the county is public land: 9,400 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is waterfowl production area, 6,625 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfowl production area | 6,625 | 1.3% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 2,794 | 0.5% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 2,775 | 0.5% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 512 | 0.1% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 90 | under 0.1% |
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.
Which hunting units are in Brookings County?
The units GFP names for Brookings County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 06A | Brookings | 500 | 223 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Brookings County?
Highways: I-29 (about 48 miles in the county), US 14 (about 45 miles in the county), SD 30 (about 16 miles in the county), US 81 (about 15 miles in the county), SD 13 (about 10 miles in the county) and SD 324 (about 9 miles in the county). Towns: Brookings, Elkton, Volga, White, Aurora, Bushnell, Bruce and Sinai.
How do the counties around Brookings compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deuel | 5,400 | 35 | 5,164 | 3,203 |
| Hamlin | 3,124 | 20 | 8,082 | 3,391 |
| Kingsbury | 1,238 | 10 | 8,597 | 7,331 |
| Lake | 430 | 4 | 3,760 | 6,089 |
| Moody | 1,229 | 10 | 657 | 3,172 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Brookings County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 2,794 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Brookings County's line, from 23 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 Brookings County?
Yes, 14: Moe Slough - East (576 acres), Oakwood Lake (500 acres), Moe Slough - West (354 acres), Black Slough - Brookings (223 acres), Deer Creek (211 acres) and Kvernmoe Slough (197 acres), and 8 more.
What hunting units are in Brookings County?
GFP names deer unit 06A for Brookings County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Brookings County?
1.8% of the county, 9,400 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is waterfowl production area at 6,625 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.
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