Hand County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Hand County has 4,335 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), 10 game production areas covering 4,947 acres, and 12,135 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 2.3% of the county's 921,711 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)Hand CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 921,711 acres (1,440 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 4,335 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 8 (3,746 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 4 (590 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 10, 4,947 acres |
| School and public land | 8,107 acres |
| Other public land | 4,028 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 33A |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 38A |
| Towns | Miller, St. Lawrence and Ree Heights |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Hand County?
4,335 acres inside the county line, 0.5% of the county. 8 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (3,746 acres in all), and 4 CREP tracts (590 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 Hand County?
10 GPAs, 4,947 acres in all, largest first:
- Hawkins GPA: 1,280 acres
- Collins GPA: 1,120 acres
- Lake Louise GPA: 989 acres
- Curtis GPA: 481 acres
- Lechtenberg GPA: 320 acres
- Spring Lake - Hand GPA: 204 acres
- Dakota GPA: 159 acres
- Reinhardt GPA: 157 acres
- West Pearl GPA: 156 acres
- East Pearl GPA: 81 acres
How much public land is in Hand County?
1.9% of the county is public land: 17,082 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is school and public land, 8,107 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| School and public land | 8,107 | 0.9% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 4,947 | 0.5% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 4,335 | 0.5% |
| Waterfowl production area | 4,028 | 0.4% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 314 | under 0.1% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 142 | 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 Hand County?
The units GFP names for Hand County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 33A | Hand | 310 | 182 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 38A | Hyde, Hand, Buffalo | 6 | 2 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Hand County?
Highways: SD 45 (about 50 miles in the county), US 14 (about 31 miles in the county), SD 26 (about 31 miles in the county) and US 212 (about 11 miles in the county). Towns: Miller, St. Lawrence and Ree Heights.
How do the counties around Hand compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beadle | 8,613 | 51 | 3,144 | 7,573 |
| Buffalo | 9,637 | 2 | 290 | 5,080 |
| Faulk | 8,972 | 12 | 2,248 | 14,826 |
| Hyde | 3,784 | 3 | 1,612 | 25,147 |
| Jerauld | 1,025 | 5 | 1,746 | 2,422 |
| Spink | 9,611 | 69 | 3,261 | 4,844 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Hand County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 4,335 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Hand 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 Hand County?
Yes, 10: Hawkins (1,280 acres), Collins (1,120 acres), Lake Louise (989 acres), Curtis (481 acres), Lechtenberg (320 acres) and Spring Lake - Hand (204 acres), and 4 more.
What hunting units are in Hand County?
GFP names deer unit 33A and antelope unit 38A for Hand County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Hand County?
1.9% of the county, 17,082 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is school and public land at 8,107 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 Beadle County Buffalo County Faulk County Hyde County Jerauld County Spink County