Deuel County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Deuel County has 5,400 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (35 tracts centered in the county), 22 game production areas covering 5,164 acres, and 3,203 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 3.4% of the county's 407,295 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 areaState park or recreation area (rules vary)Other GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Deuel CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 407,295 acres (636 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 5,400 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 27 (4,325 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 8 (1,012 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 22, 5,164 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 3,203 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 23A |
| Towns | Clear Lake, Brandt, Altamont, Gary and Goodwin |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Deuel County?
5,400 acres inside the county line, 1.3% of the county. 27 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (4,325 acres in all), and 8 CREP tracts (1,012 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 Deuel County?
22 GPAs, 5,164 acres in all, largest first:
- Round - Bullhead GPA: 1,148 acres
- Coteau Lakes GPA: 677 acres
- Mud Lake - Deuel GPA: 643 acres
- Crystal Springs GPA: 509 acres
- Rush Lake GPA: 322 acres
- Lake Ketchum GPA: 253 acres
- Lake Francis GPA: 246 acres
- Lone Tree GPA: 216 acres
- Altamont GPA: 202 acres
- Briggs Lake GPA: 128 acres
- Fox Lake GPA: 122 acres
- Singsaas GPA: 120 acres
- Nelson - Deuel GPA: 82 acres
- Sharp GPA: 80 acres
- Rome GPA: 79 acres
- Cole GPA: 77 acres
- Lake Oliver - Bostic GPA: 72 acres
- Runge Slough GPA: 40 acres
- Lake Sutton GPA: 40 acres
- Astoria GPA: 39 acres
- Marquardt GPA: 38 acres
- Cornell Slough GPA: 30 acres
How much public land is in Deuel County?
2.1% of the county is public land: 8,367 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 5,164 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 5,400 | 1.3% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 5,164 | 1.3% |
| Waterfowl production area | 3,203 | 0.8% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 527 | 0.1% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 99 | 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 Deuel County?
The units GFP names for Deuel County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 23A | Deuel | 600 | 255 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Deuel County?
Highways: I-29 (about 31 miles in the county), SD 15 (about 30 miles in the county), US 212 (about 24 miles in the county), SD 22 (about 23 miles in the county), SD 28 (about 21 miles in the county) and SD 101 (about 3 miles in the county). Towns: Clear Lake, Brandt, Altamont, Gary, Goodwin, Toronto and Astoria.
How do the counties around Deuel compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookings | 2,794 | 23 | 2,775 | 6,625 |
| Codington | 6,354 | 32 | 9,570 | 6,055 |
| Grant | 16,954 | 54 | 1,658 | 5,364 |
| Hamlin | 3,124 | 20 | 8,082 | 3,391 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Deuel County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 5,400 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Deuel County's line, from 35 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 Deuel County?
Yes, 22: Round - Bullhead (1,148 acres), Coteau Lakes (677 acres), Mud Lake - Deuel (643 acres), Crystal Springs (509 acres), Rush Lake (322 acres) and Lake Ketchum (253 acres), and 16 more.
What hunting units are in Deuel County?
GFP names deer unit 23A for Deuel County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Deuel County?
2.1% of the county, 8,367 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 5,164 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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