Custer County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Custer County has 30,835 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (15 tracts centered in the county), 4 game production areas covering 2,841 acres, and 377,878 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 41.2% of the county's 997,797 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 grasslandBLMSchool and public landState park or recreation area (rules vary)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Custer CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 997,797 acres (1,559 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 30,835 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 15 (31,927 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 4, 2,841 acres |
| School and public land | 9,094 acres |
| Other public land | 368,784 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 21A, Deer unit 21B |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 21A, Antelope unit 27A |
| Towns | Custer, Hermosa, Fairburn, Buffalo Gap and Pringle |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Custer County?
30,835 acres inside the county line, 3.1% of the county. 15 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (31,927 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 Custer County?
4 GPAs, 2,841 acres in all, largest first:
- Spring Valley - Custer GPA: 1,003 acres
- Friendshuh GPA: 974 acres
- Pleasant Valley Elk Area GPA: 502 acres
- Cooper Ranch GPA: 361 acres
How much public land is in Custer County?
38.2% of the county is public land: 380,719 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is national forest or grassland, 365,187 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| National forest or grassland | 365,187 | 36.6% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 70,595 | 7.1% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 30,835 | 3.1% |
| School and public land | 9,094 | 0.9% |
| BLM | 3,597 | 0.4% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 2,841 | 0.3% |
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 Custer County?
The units GFP names for Custer County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 21A | East Custer / Central Pennington | 378 | 239 (2025) |
| Deer unit 21B | Central Custer / South Central Pennington | 108 | 67 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 21A | Custer/central Pennington | 128 | 79 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 27A | Fall River/southwest Custer | 357 | 254 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Custer County?
Highways: SD 79 (about 56 miles in the county), SD 87 (about 45 miles in the county), US 385 (about 35 miles in the county), US 16 (about 33 miles in the county), SD 89 (about 31 miles in the county) and SD 40 (about 27 miles in the county). Towns: Custer, Hermosa, Fairburn, Buffalo Gap and Pringle.
How do the counties around Custer compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall River | 67,413 | 29 | 14,108 | 303,580 |
| Oglala Lakota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Pennington | 4,731 | 6 | 175 | 637,804 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Custer County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 30,835 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Custer County's line, from 15 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 Custer County?
Yes, 4: Spring Valley - Custer (1,003 acres), Friendshuh (974 acres), Pleasant Valley Elk Area (502 acres) and Cooper Ranch (361 acres).
What hunting units are in Custer County?
GFP names deer units 21A and 21B and antelope units 21A and 27A for Custer County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Custer County?
38.2% of the county, 380,719 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is national forest or grassland at 365,187 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 Fall River County Oglala Lakota County Pennington County