Davison County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Davison County has 1,228 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (11 tracts centered in the county), 3 game production areas covering 437 acres, and 229 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 0.7% of the county's 279,645 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 areaWalk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Davison CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 279,645 acres (437 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 1,228 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 0 (0 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 11 (1,228 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 3, 437 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 229 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 08A |
| Towns | Mitchell, Mount Vernon, Ethan and Loomis |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Davison County?
1,228 acres inside the county line, 0.4% of the county. 0 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (0 acres in all), and 11 CREP tracts (1,228 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 Davison County?
3 GPAs, 437 acres in all, largest first:
- Bluestem GPA: 273 acres
- Hubbard Slough GPA: 84 acres
- Tjomsland GPA: 81 acres
How much public land is in Davison County?
0.2% of the county is public land: 666 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 437 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 1,228 | 0.4% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 437 | 0.2% |
| Waterfowl production area | 229 | 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 Davison County?
The units GFP names for Davison County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 08A | Davison | 50 | 33 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Davison County?
Highways: I-90 (about 36 miles in the county), SD 37 (about 33 miles in the county), SD 42 (about 18 miles in the county) and SD 38 (about 2 miles in the county). Towns: Mitchell, Mount Vernon, Ethan and Loomis.
How do the counties around Davison compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | 1,685 | 8 | 2,320 | 5,857 |
| Douglas | 652 | 7 | 0 | 4,468 |
| Hanson | 4,268 | 41 | 588 | 1,063 |
| Hutchinson | 9,790 | 102 | 2,070 | 785 |
| Sanborn | 4,998 | 32 | 3,165 | 94 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Davison County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 1,228 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Davison County's line, from 11 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 Davison County?
Yes, 3: Bluestem (273 acres), Hubbard Slough (84 acres) and Tjomsland (81 acres).
What hunting units are in Davison County?
GFP names deer unit 08A for Davison County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Davison County?
0.2% of the county, 666 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 437 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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