Hyde County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Hyde County has 3,784 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (3 tracts centered in the county), 3 game production areas covering 1,612 acres, and 25,147 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 5.5% of the county's 554,466 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 areaCorps of EngineersSchool and public landOther GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Hyde CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 554,466 acres (866 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 3,784 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 3 (4,733 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 3, 1,612 acres |
| School and public land | 21,919 acres |
| Other public land | 3,228 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 38A |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 38A |
| Towns | Highmore and Stephan |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Hyde County?
3,784 acres inside the county line, 0.7% of the county. 3 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (4,733 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 Hyde County?
3 GPAs, 1,612 acres in all, largest first:
- Rice Lake GPA: 876 acres
- Rezac Lake GPA: 571 acres
- Highmore GPA: 165 acres
How much public land is in Hyde County?
4.8% of the county is public land: 26,759 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is school and public land, 21,919 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| School and public land | 21,919 | 4% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 3,784 | 0.7% |
| Waterfowl production area | 2,386 | 0.4% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 1,612 | 0.3% |
| Corps of Engineers | 842 | 0.2% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 193 | 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 Hyde County?
The units GFP names for Hyde County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 38A | Hyde | 310 | 174 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 38A | Hyde, Hand, Buffalo | 6 | 2 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Hyde County?
Highways: SD 47 (about 49 miles in the county), US 14 (about 18 miles in the county), SD 34 (about 16 miles in the county) and SD 26 (about 7 miles in the county). Towns: Highmore and Stephan.
How do the counties around Hyde compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 9,637 | 2 | 290 | 5,080 |
| Faulk | 8,972 | 12 | 2,248 | 14,826 |
| Hand | 4,335 | 12 | 4,947 | 12,135 |
| Hughes | 4,309 | 6 | 5,668 | 5,798 |
| Lyman | 8,995 | 25 | 12,726 | 75,311 |
| Potter | 3,970 | 10 | 3,990 | 22,330 |
| Sully | 14,224 | 26 | 19,590 | 15,062 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Hyde County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 3,784 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Hyde County's line, from 3 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 Hyde County?
Yes, 3: Rice Lake (876 acres), Rezac Lake (571 acres) and Highmore (165 acres).
What hunting units are in Hyde County?
GFP names deer unit 38A and antelope unit 38A for Hyde County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Hyde County?
4.8% of the county, 26,759 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is school and public land at 21,919 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 Buffalo County Faulk County Hand County Hughes County Lyman County Potter County