McCook County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
McCook County has 2,745 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (29 tracts centered in the county), 11 game production areas covering 2,931 acres, and 3,491 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 2.5% of the county's 369,184 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 areaState park or recreation area (rules vary)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)McCook CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 369,184 acres (577 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 2,745 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 6 (746 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 23 (1,999 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 11, 2,931 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 3,491 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 46A |
| Towns | Salem, Bridgewater, Canistota, Montrose and Spencer |
How much Walk-In Area land is in McCook County?
2,745 acres inside the county line, 0.7% of the county. 6 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (746 acres in all), and 23 CREP tracts (1,999 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 McCook County?
11 GPAs, 2,931 acres in all, largest first:
- East Vermillion Lake GPA: 1,541 acres
- Ponderosa GPA: 232 acres
- Forsch Lake GPA: 229 acres
- Gross Lake GPA: 188 acres
- Island Lake - McCook GPA: 176 acres
- Healy Slough GPA: 155 acres
- Tuschen Lake GPA: 144 acres
- Lehrman Slough GPA: 83 acres
- Ediger GPA: 76 acres
- Tschetter GPA: 75 acres
- Schultz GPA: 27 acres
How much public land is in McCook County?
1.7% of the county is public land: 6,422 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is waterfowl production area, 3,491 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfowl production area | 3,491 | 0.9% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 2,931 | 0.8% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 2,745 | 0.7% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 253 | 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.
Which hunting units are in McCook County?
The units GFP names for McCook County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 46A | McCook | 200 | 102 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around McCook County?
Highways: I-90 (about 48 miles in the county), US 81 (about 25 miles in the county), SD 38 (about 25 miles in the county), SD 42 (about 24 miles in the county) and SD 262 (about 7 miles in the county). Towns: Salem, Bridgewater, Canistota, Montrose and Spencer.
How do the counties around McCook compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanson | 4,268 | 41 | 588 | 1,063 |
| Hutchinson | 9,790 | 102 | 2,070 | 785 |
| Lake | 430 | 4 | 3,760 | 6,089 |
| Miner | 633 | 4 | 4,680 | 1,593 |
| Minnehaha | 394 | 2 | 2,438 | 4,735 |
| Turner | 750 | 11 | 1,109 | 994 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in McCook County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 2,745 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside McCook County's line, from 29 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 McCook County?
Yes, 11: East Vermillion Lake (1,541 acres), Ponderosa (232 acres), Forsch Lake (229 acres), Gross Lake (188 acres), Island Lake - McCook (176 acres) and Healy Slough (155 acres), and 5 more.
What hunting units are in McCook County?
GFP names deer unit 46A for McCook County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in McCook County?
1.7% of the county, 6,422 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is waterfowl production area at 3,491 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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