Turner County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Turner County has 750 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (11 tracts centered in the county), 6 game production areas covering 1,109 acres, and 994 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 0.7% of the county's 395,271 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)Turner CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 395,271 acres (618 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 750 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 11 (750 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 6, 1,109 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 994 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 61A |
| Towns | Parker, Marion, Centerville, Hurley and Viborg |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Turner County?
750 acres inside the county line, 0.2% of the county. 11 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (750 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 Turner County?
6 GPAs, 1,109 acres in all, largest first:
- Crosley-Shaeffer GPA: 795 acres
- Hanson - Turner GPA: 96 acres
- Centennial GPA: 79 acres
- Lake Charles GPA: 79 acres
- Swan Lake - Turner GPA: 42 acres
- Christensen Slough GPA: 18 acres
How much public land is in Turner County?
0.5% of the county is public land: 2,103 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 1,109 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Game production area (GFP) | 1,109 | 0.3% |
| Waterfowl production area | 994 | 0.3% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 750 | 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 Turner County?
The units GFP names for Turner County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 61A | Turner | 50 | 26 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Turner County?
Highways: SD 19 (about 30 miles in the county), US 18 (about 25 miles in the county) and SD 44 (about 25 miles in the county). Towns: Parker, Marion, Centerville, Hurley, Viborg, Davis, Monroe, Dolton and 2 more.
How do the counties around Turner compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | 2,039 | 14 | 624 | 590 |
| Hutchinson | 9,790 | 102 | 2,070 | 785 |
| Lincoln | 1,782 | 14 | 1,512 | 179 |
| McCook | 2,745 | 29 | 2,931 | 3,491 |
| Minnehaha | 394 | 2 | 2,438 | 4,735 |
| Yankton | 5,699 | 35 | 1,589 | 688 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Turner County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 750 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Turner County's line, from 11 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 Turner County?
Yes, 6: Crosley-Shaeffer (795 acres), Hanson - Turner (96 acres), Centennial (79 acres), Lake Charles (79 acres), Swan Lake - Turner (42 acres) and Christensen Slough (18 acres).
What hunting units are in Turner County?
GFP names deer unit 61A for Turner County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Turner County?
0.5% of the county, 2,103 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 1,109 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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