Corson County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Corson County has 79,323 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (27 tracts centered in the county), 1 game production area covering 316 acres, and 68,526 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 9.2% of the county's 1,618,983 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 forest or grasslandCorps of EngineersSchool and public landWalk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Corson CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,618,983 acres (2,530 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 79,323 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 27 (77,445 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 1, 316 acres |
| School and public land | 23,332 acres |
| Other public land | 45,194 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 20A |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 20A |
| Towns | McIntosh, McLaughlin, Morristown, Bullhead and Little Eagle |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Corson County?
79,323 acres inside the county line, 4.9% of the county. 27 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (77,445 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 Corson County?
One GPA:
- C.C. Lee GPA: 316 acres
How much public land is in Corson County?
4.3% of the county is public land: 68,842 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is national forest or grassland, 30,969 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 79,323 | 4.9% |
| National forest or grassland | 30,969 | 1.9% |
| School and public land | 23,332 | 1.4% |
| Corps of Engineers | 14,225 | 0.9% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 316 | 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 Corson County?
The units GFP names for Corson County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 20A | Corson | 648 | 312 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 20A | Corson | 62 | 44 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Corson County?
Highways: US 12 (about 87 miles in the county), SD 1806 (about 41 miles in the county), SD 63 (about 38 miles in the county), SD 65 (about 32 miles in the county) and SD 20 (about 23 miles in the county). Towns: McIntosh, McLaughlin, Morristown, Bullhead, Little Eagle, Kenel and Wakpala.
How do the counties around Corson compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell | 10,485 | 28 | 5,654 | 12,042 |
| Dewey | 35,293 | 25 | 3,540 | 6,618 |
| Perkins | 117,767 | 63 | 7,030 | 204,458 |
| Walworth | 24,727 | 38 | 5,039 | 15,283 |
| Ziebach | 57,671 | 30 | 195 | 13,935 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Corson County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 79,323 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Corson County's line, from 27 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 Corson County?
Yes, 1: C.C. Lee (316 acres).
What hunting units are in Corson County?
GFP names deer unit 20A and antelope unit 20A for Corson County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Corson County?
4.3% of the county, 68,842 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is national forest or grassland at 30,969 acres.
Get a South Dakota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for South Dakota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, South Dakota included.
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 Campbell County Dewey County Perkins County Walworth County Ziebach County