Hanson County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Hanson County has 4,268 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (41 tracts centered in the county), 4 game production areas covering 588 acres, and 1,063 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 2.1% of the county's 278,566 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 areaWalk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Hanson CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 278,566 acres (435 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 4,268 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 10 (1,307 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 31 (2,925 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 4, 588 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 1,063 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 34A |
| Towns | Fulton, Alexandria, Emery and Farmer |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Hanson County?
4,268 acres inside the county line, 1.5% of the county. 10 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (1,307 acres in all), and 31 CREP tracts (2,925 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 Hanson County?
4 GPAs, 588 acres in all, largest first:
- Spencer - Hanson GPA: 316 acres
- Long Lake 1 GPA: 226 acres
- Lake Eli GPA: 39 acres
- Chip Allen - Miner GPA: 7 acres
How much public land is in Hanson County?
0.6% of the county is public land: 1,651 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is waterfowl production area, 1,063 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 4,268 | 1.5% |
| Waterfowl production area | 1,063 | 0.4% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 588 | 0.2% |
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 Hanson County?
The units GFP names for Hanson County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 34A | Hanson | 100 | 60 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Hanson County?
Highways: I-90 (about 37 miles in the county), SD 42 (about 18 miles in the county), SD 38 (about 18 miles in the county), SD 25 (about 16 miles in the county) and SD 262 (about 11 miles in the county). Towns: Fulton, Alexandria, Emery and Farmer.
How do the counties around Hanson compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davison | 1,228 | 11 | 437 | 229 |
| Hutchinson | 9,790 | 102 | 2,070 | 785 |
| McCook | 2,745 | 29 | 2,931 | 3,491 |
| Miner | 633 | 4 | 4,680 | 1,593 |
| Sanborn | 4,998 | 32 | 3,165 | 94 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Hanson County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 4,268 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Hanson County's line, from 41 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 Hanson County?
Yes, 4: Spencer - Hanson (316 acres), Long Lake 1 (226 acres), Lake Eli (39 acres) and Chip Allen - Miner (7 acres).
What hunting units are in Hanson County?
GFP names deer unit 34A for Hanson County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Hanson County?
0.6% of the county, 1,651 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is waterfowl production area at 1,063 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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