Brown County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Brown County has 57,084 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (409 tracts centered in the county), 21 game production areas covering 12,006 acres, and 28,219 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 8.8% of the county's 1,107,934 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 areaNational wildlife refuge (rules vary)School and public landState park or recreation area (rules vary)Other GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Brown CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,107,934 acres (1,731 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 57,084 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 107 (22,097 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 302 (35,220 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 21, 12,006 acres |
| School and public land | 4,010 acres |
| Other public land | 24,209 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 03A |
| Towns | Aberdeen, Groton, Columbia, Frederick and Hecla |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Brown County?
57,084 acres inside the county line, 5.2% of the county. 107 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (22,097 acres in all), and 302 CREP tracts (35,220 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 Brown County?
21 GPAs, 12,006 acres in all, largest first:
- Putney Slough GPA: 2,772 acres
- Renziehausen GPA: 1,503 acres
- Putney #3 GPA: 1,267 acres
- Willow Dam GPA: 1,212 acres
- Zabrasha GPA: 1,121 acres
- Casanova GPA: 798 acres
- Hansen Preserve (Stratford Sl) GPA: 701 acres
- Hecla Managed GPA: 638 acres
- Hecla Controlled GPA: 496 acres
- Cutler GPA: 313 acres
- Putney #1 GPA: 164 acres
- Elm Lake - Brown GPA: 159 acres
- Erickson GPA: 158 acres
- West Hecla GPA: 158 acres
- East Hecla GPA: 155 acres
- Columbia GPA: 82 acres
- Sieh GPA: 80 acres
- Hart Quarter GPA: 69 acres
- Diagonal Trees GPA: 67 acres
- Jilek - Dahme GPA: 54 acres
- Bodi GPA: 38 acres
How much public land is in Brown County?
3.6% of the county is public land: 40,225 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 19,519 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 57,084 | 5.2% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 19,519 | 1.8% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 12,006 | 1.1% |
| Waterfowl production area | 4,690 | 0.4% |
| School and public land | 4,010 | 0.4% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 353 | under 0.1% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 248 | 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. 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 Brown County?
The units GFP names for Brown County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 03A | Brown (exc. Sand Lake NWR) | 900 | 372 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Brown County?
Highways: US 281 (about 65 miles in the county), US 12 (about 61 miles in the county), SD 37 (about 50 miles in the county) and SD 10 (about 41 miles in the county). Towns: Aberdeen, Groton, Columbia, Frederick, Hecla, Warner, Verdon, Claremont and 7 more.
How do the counties around Brown compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | 66,931 | 378 | 14,802 | 12,490 |
| Edmunds | 8,485 | 28 | 1,892 | 22,299 |
| Marshall | 49,153 | 276 | 11,402 | 14,631 |
| McPherson | 23,662 | 46 | 4,768 | 42,698 |
| Spink | 9,611 | 69 | 3,261 | 4,844 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Brown County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 57,084 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Brown County's line, from 409 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 Brown County?
Yes, 21: Putney Slough (2,772 acres), Renziehausen (1,503 acres), Putney #3 (1,267 acres), Willow Dam (1,212 acres), Zabrasha (1,121 acres) and Casanova (798 acres), and 15 more.
What hunting units are in Brown County?
GFP names deer unit 03A for Brown County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Brown County?
3.6% of the county, 40,225 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is national wildlife refuge at 19,519 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 Day County Edmunds County Marshall County McPherson County Spink County