Clay County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Clay County has 2,039 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (14 tracts centered in the county), 4 game production areas covering 624 acres, and 590 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 1.2% of the county's 267,128 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 areaCorps of EngineersState park or recreation area (rules vary)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Clay CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 267,128 acres (417 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 2,039 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 14 (2,039 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 4, 624 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 590 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 19A |
| Towns | Vermillion, Wakonda, Burbank and Meckling |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Clay County?
2,039 acres inside the county line, 0.8% of the county. 14 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (2,039 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 Clay County?
4 GPAs, 624 acres in all, largest first:
- Frost Wilderness GPA: 348 acres
- Cunningham GPA: 110 acres
- Myron Grove GPA: 89 acres
- Donnelly - Union GPA: 76 acres
How much public land is in Clay County?
0.5% of the county is public land: 1,214 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 624 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 2,039 | 0.8% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 624 | 0.2% |
| Corps of Engineers | 550 | 0.2% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 432 | 0.2% |
| Waterfowl production area | 40 | 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 Clay County?
The units GFP names for Clay County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 19A | Clay | 50 | 22 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Clay County?
Highways: SD 50 (about 36 miles in the county) and SD 19 (about 21 miles in the county). Towns: Vermillion, Wakonda, Burbank and Meckling.
How do the counties around Clay compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | 1,782 | 14 | 1,512 | 179 |
| Turner | 750 | 11 | 1,109 | 994 |
| Union | 2,460 | 26 | 965 | 96 |
| Yankton | 5,699 | 35 | 1,589 | 688 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Clay County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 2,039 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Clay County's line, from 14 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 Clay County?
Yes, 4: Frost Wilderness (348 acres), Cunningham (110 acres), Myron Grove (89 acres) and Donnelly - Union (76 acres).
What hunting units are in Clay County?
GFP names deer unit 19A for Clay County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Clay County?
0.5% of the county, 1,214 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 624 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 Lincoln County Turner County Union County Yankton County