Jones County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Jones County has 6,703 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (10 tracts centered in the county), 1 game production area covering 621 acres, and 23,965 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 5% of the county's 621,425 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)National forest or grasslandBLMSchool and public landWalk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Jones CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 621,425 acres (971 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 6,703 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 10 (6,696 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 1, 621 acres |
| School and public land | 4,099 acres |
| Other public land | 19,866 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 41A, Deer unit 45D |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 41A |
| Towns | Draper, Murdo and Okaton |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Jones County?
6,703 acres inside the county line, 1.1% of the county. 10 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (6,696 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 Jones County?
One GPA:
- Buxcel GPA: 621 acres
How much public land is in Jones County?
4% of the county is public land: 24,586 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is national forest or grassland, 19,863 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| National forest or grassland | 19,863 | 3.2% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 6,703 | 1.1% |
| School and public land | 4,099 | 0.7% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 621 | 0.1% |
| BLM | 3 | 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 Jones County?
The units GFP names for Jones County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 41A | Jones | 432 | 256 (2025) |
| Deer unit 45D | Fort Pierre National Grasslands area | 87 | 50 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 41A | Jones, excl. PRA-45B | 6 | 14 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Jones County?
Highways: I-90 (about 71 miles in the county), US 83 (about 47 miles in the county) and SD 16 (about 36 miles in the county). Towns: Draper, Murdo and Okaton.
How do the counties around Jones compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haakon | 52,873 | 26 | 1,243 | 15,981 |
| Jackson | 9,938 | 8 | 0 | 110,584 |
| Lyman | 8,995 | 25 | 12,726 | 75,311 |
| Mellette | 24,248 | 16 | 0 | 11,490 |
| Stanley | 19,588 | 14 | 17,140 | 64,806 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Jones County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 6,703 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Jones County's line, from 10 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 Jones County?
Yes, 1: Buxcel (621 acres).
What hunting units are in Jones County?
GFP names deer units 41A and 45D and antelope unit 41A for Jones County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Jones County?
4% of the county, 24,586 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is national forest or grassland at 19,863 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 Haakon County Jackson County Lyman County Mellette County Stanley County