Hughes County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Hughes County has 4,309 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), 16 game production areas covering 5,668 acres, and 5,798 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 3.1% of the county's 512,654 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 areaBLMCorps of EngineersSchool and public landState park or recreation area (rules vary)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Hughes CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 512,654 acres (801 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 4,309 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 6 (4,311 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 16, 5,668 acres |
| School and public land | 398 acres |
| Other public land | 5,400 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 36A |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 36A |
| Towns | Pierre, Blunt, Harrold and Oahe Acres |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Hughes County?
4,309 acres inside the county line, 0.8% of the county. 6 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (4,311 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 Hughes County?
16 GPAs, 5,668 acres in all, largest first:
- Arikara GPA: 1,105 acres
- Peoria Flats GPA: 933 acres
- Cowan GPA: 713 acres
- DeGrey GPA: 545 acres
- Valley 7 GPA: 514 acres
- Rousseau GPA: 418 acres
- Gutenkauf GPA: 409 acres
- West Big Bend GPA: 332 acres
- Sand Creek - Hughes GPA: 192 acres
- North Big Bend GPA: 161 acres
- Woodruff Lake Area GPA: 106 acres
- West Degrey GPA: 69 acres
- Buckeye 10 GPA: 65 acres
- Dry Run 20 GPA: 48 acres
- Dry Run 27 GPA: 33 acres
- Canning 22 GPA: 24 acres
How much public land is in Hughes County?
2.2% of the county is public land: 11,466 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 5,668 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Game production area (GFP) | 5,668 | 1.1% |
| Corps of Engineers | 4,929 | 1% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 4,309 | 0.8% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 2,207 | 0.4% |
| Waterfowl production area | 456 | 0.1% |
| School and public land | 398 | 0.1% |
| BLM | 15 | 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 Hughes County?
The units GFP names for Hughes County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 36A | Hughes (exc. areas around Pierre) | 400 | 219 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 36A | Hughes | 6 | 5 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Hughes County?
Highways: US 14 (about 42 miles in the county), SD 34 (about 38 miles in the county), US 83 (about 25 miles in the county) and SD 1804 (about 14 miles in the county). Towns: Pierre, Blunt, Harrold and Oahe Acres.
How do the counties around Hughes compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyde | 3,784 | 3 | 1,612 | 25,147 |
| Lyman | 8,995 | 25 | 12,726 | 75,311 |
| Stanley | 19,588 | 14 | 17,140 | 64,806 |
| Sully | 14,224 | 26 | 19,590 | 15,062 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Hughes County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 4,309 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Hughes 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 Hughes County?
Yes, 16: Arikara (1,105 acres), Peoria Flats (933 acres), Cowan (713 acres), DeGrey (545 acres), Valley 7 (514 acres) and Rousseau (418 acres), and 10 more.
What hunting units are in Hughes County?
GFP names deer unit 36A and antelope unit 36A for Hughes County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Hughes County?
2.2% of the county, 11,466 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 5,668 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 Hyde County Lyman County Stanley County Sully County