Union County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Union County has 2,460 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (26 tracts centered in the county), 8 game production areas covering 965 acres, and 96 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 1.2% of the county's 298,985 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)Other GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Union CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 298,985 acres (467 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 2,460 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 12 (1,019 acres in all) |
| CREP tracts centered in the county | 14 (1,442 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 8, 965 acres |
| School and public land | 0 acres |
| Other public land | 96 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 62A |
| Towns | North Sioux City, Beresford, Elk Point, Alcester and Jefferson |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Union County?
2,460 acres inside the county line, 0.8% of the county. 12 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (1,019 acres in all), and 14 CREP tracts (1,442 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 Union County?
8 GPAs, 965 acres in all, largest first:
- Petry/Harmelink GPA: 309 acres
- Ryan GPA: 167 acres
- Warren Wilderness GPA: 161 acres
- Cusick GPA: 104 acres
- Bolton GPA: 92 acres
- Cut Off Bend GPA: 72 acres
- Petry-Conway GPA: 43 acres
- Bent River GPA: 17 acres
How much public land is in Union County?
0.4% of the county is public land: 1,061 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is game production area, 965 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 2,460 | 0.8% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 1,957 | 0.7% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 965 | 0.3% |
| Waterfowl production area | 96 | under 0.1% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 89 | 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.
Which hunting units are in Union County?
The units GFP names for Union County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 62A | Union | 50 | 41 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Union County?
Highways: I-29 (about 95 miles in the county), SD 11 (about 45 miles in the county), SD 48 (about 13 miles in the county), SD 50 (about 11 miles in the county), SD 105 (about 6 miles in the county) and SD 12 (about 2 miles in the county). Towns: North Sioux City, Beresford, Elk Point, Alcester, Jefferson, Richland and Dakota Dunes.
How do the counties around Union compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | 2,039 | 14 | 624 | 590 |
| Lincoln | 1,782 | 14 | 1,512 | 179 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Union County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 2,460 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Union County's line, from 26 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 Union County?
Yes, 8: Petry/Harmelink (309 acres), Ryan (167 acres), Warren Wilderness (161 acres), Cusick (104 acres), Bolton (92 acres) and Cut Off Bend (72 acres), and 2 more.
What hunting units are in Union County?
GFP names deer unit 62A for Union County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Union County?
0.4% of the county, 1,061 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is game production area at 965 acres.
Get a South Dakota hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, South Dakota included.
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.