Edmunds County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Edmunds County has 8,485 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (28 tracts centered in the county), 10 game production areas covering 1,892 acres, and 22,299 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 4.4% of the county's 736,687 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 areaSchool and public landState park or recreation area (rules vary)Other GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Edmunds CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 736,687 acres (1,151 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 8,485 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 25 (7,888 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 3 (448 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 10, 1,892 acres |
| School and public land | 13,056 acres |
| Other public land | 9,243 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 26A |
| Towns | Ipswich, Hosmer, Bowdle, Roscoe and Mina |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Edmunds County?
8,485 acres inside the county line, 1.2% of the county. 25 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (7,888 acres in all), and 3 CREP tracts (448 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 Edmunds County?
10 GPAs, 1,892 acres in all, largest first:
- Steigelmier GPA: 326 acres
- Shaner GPA: 314 acres
- North Scatterwood + Diversion GPA: 247 acres
- Losee GPA: 202 acres
- Bowdle - Hosmer GPA: 177 acres
- Schaber GPA: 162 acres
- Light GPA: 155 acres
- Heilman GPA: 147 acres
- Rosette GPA: 82 acres
- Hosmer GPA: 80 acres
How much public land is in Edmunds County?
3.3% of the county is public land: 24,191 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is school and public land, 13,056 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| School and public land | 13,056 | 1.8% |
| Waterfowl production area | 9,243 | 1.3% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 8,485 | 1.2% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 1,892 | 0.3% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 322 | under 0.1% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 84 | 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 Edmunds County?
The units GFP names for Edmunds County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 26A | Edmunds | 700 | 419 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Edmunds County?
Highways: US 12 (about 50 miles in the county), SD 45 (about 29 miles in the county), SD 253 (about 18 miles in the county), SD 47 (about 15 miles in the county), SD 247 (about 10 miles in the county) and SD 134 (about 3 miles in the county). Towns: Ipswich, Hosmer, Bowdle, Roscoe and Mina.
How do the counties around Edmunds compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown | 57,084 | 409 | 12,006 | 28,219 |
| Faulk | 8,972 | 12 | 2,248 | 14,826 |
| McPherson | 23,662 | 46 | 4,768 | 42,698 |
| Potter | 3,970 | 10 | 3,990 | 22,330 |
| Walworth | 24,727 | 38 | 5,039 | 15,283 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Edmunds County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 8,485 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Edmunds County's line, from 28 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 Edmunds County?
Yes, 10: Steigelmier (326 acres), Shaner (314 acres), North Scatterwood + Diversion (247 acres), Losee (202 acres), Bowdle - Hosmer (177 acres) and Schaber (162 acres), and 4 more.
What hunting units are in Edmunds County?
GFP names deer unit 26A for Edmunds County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Edmunds County?
3.3% of the county, 24,191 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is school and public land at 13,056 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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