Faulk County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Faulk County has 8,972 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (12 tracts centered in the county), 5 game production areas covering 2,248 acres, and 14,826 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 4% of the county's 643,738 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)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Faulk CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 643,738 acres (1,006 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 8,972 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 8 (8,200 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 4 (771 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 5, 2,248 acres |
| School and public land | 12,103 acres |
| Other public land | 2,723 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 28A |
| Towns | Faulkton, Rockham, Seneca, Cresbard and Chelsea |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Faulk County?
8,972 acres inside the county line, 1.4% of the county. 8 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (8,200 acres in all), and 4 CREP tracts (771 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 Faulk County?
5 GPAs, 2,248 acres in all, largest first:
- Gerken Refuge GPA: 953 acres
- South Scatterwood GPA: 909 acres
- Sprague GPA: 164 acres
- Lake Faulkton GPA: 141 acres
- Ingalls GPA: 81 acres
How much public land is in Faulk County?
2.7% of the county is public land: 17,074 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is school and public land, 12,103 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| School and public land | 12,103 | 1.9% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 8,972 | 1.4% |
| Waterfowl production area | 2,723 | 0.4% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 2,248 | 0.3% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 8 | 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 Faulk County?
The units GFP names for Faulk County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 28A | Faulk | 1,000 | 508 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Faulk County?
Highways: SD 20 (about 44 miles in the county), US 212 (about 41 miles in the county), SD 45 (about 24 miles in the county) and SD 47 (about 17 miles in the county). Towns: Faulkton, Rockham, Seneca, Cresbard, Chelsea, Orient and Onaka.
How do the counties around Faulk compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmunds | 8,485 | 28 | 1,892 | 22,299 |
| Hand | 4,335 | 12 | 4,947 | 12,135 |
| Hyde | 3,784 | 3 | 1,612 | 25,147 |
| Potter | 3,970 | 10 | 3,990 | 22,330 |
| Spink | 9,611 | 69 | 3,261 | 4,844 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Faulk County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 8,972 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Faulk County's line, from 12 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 Faulk County?
Yes, 5: Gerken Refuge (953 acres), South Scatterwood (909 acres), Sprague (164 acres), Lake Faulkton (141 acres) and Ingalls (81 acres).
What hunting units are in Faulk County?
GFP names deer unit 28A for Faulk County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Faulk County?
2.7% of the county, 17,074 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is school and public land at 12,103 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 Edmunds County Hand County Hyde County Potter County Spink County