Gregory County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Gregory County has 12,926 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (6 tracts centered in the county), 7 game production areas covering 12,998 acres, and 2,927 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 4.3% of the county's 674,168 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)BLMCorps of EngineersSchool 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)Gregory CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 674,168 acres (1,053 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 12,926 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 6 (12,930 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 7, 12,998 acres |
| School and public land | 45 acres |
| Other public land | 2,882 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 30A |
| Towns | Gregory, Burke, Herrick, Dallas and Bonesteel |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Gregory County?
12,926 acres inside the county line, 1.9% of the county. 6 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (12,930 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 Gregory County?
7 GPAs, 12,998 acres in all, largest first:
- Buryanek GPA: 5,384 acres
- Landing Creek GPA: 2,464 acres
- Star Valley GPA: 1,460 acres
- Whetstone GPA: 1,415 acres
- Southern Gregory GPA: 1,256 acres
- Central - Gregory GPA: 709 acres
- Dixon Dam GPA: 308 acres
How much public land is in Gregory County?
2.4% of the county is public land: 15,925 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 12,998 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Game production area (GFP) | 12,998 | 1.9% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 12,926 | 1.9% |
| Corps of Engineers | 2,876 | 0.4% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 1,179 | 0.2% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 205 | under 0.1% |
| School and public land | 45 | under 0.1% |
| BLM | 6 | 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 Gregory County?
The units GFP names for Gregory County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 30A | Gregory (November 7-10 and 23-29); 30B: Gregory (November 14- 29) | 1,188 | 458 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Gregory County?
Highways: US 18 (about 58 miles in the county), SD 47 (about 40 miles in the county), SD 44 (about 22 miles in the county), SD 1806 (about 16 miles in the county), SD 251 (about 16 miles in the county) and US 281 (about 11 miles in the county). Towns: Gregory, Burke, Herrick, Dallas, Bonesteel, Fairfax and St. Charles.
How do the counties around Gregory compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Mix | 1,801 | 12 | 11,621 | 12,769 |
| Lyman | 8,995 | 25 | 12,726 | 75,311 |
| Tripp | 1,044 | 3 | 948 | 5,036 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Gregory County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 12,926 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Gregory County's line, from 6 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 Gregory County?
Yes, 7: Buryanek (5,384 acres), Landing Creek (2,464 acres), Star Valley (1,460 acres), Whetstone (1,415 acres), Southern Gregory (1,256 acres) and Central - Gregory (709 acres), and 1 more.
What hunting units are in Gregory County?
GFP names deer unit 30A for Gregory County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Gregory County?
2.4% of the county, 15,925 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 12,998 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 Charles Mix County Lyman County Tripp County