Deer unit 01A, South Dakota: licenses, harvest and hunting land
GFP's East River deer unit 01A is Minnehaha. For 2026 GFP lists 300 resident licenses here, all type 01. In 2025, by GFP's projection, hunters took 160 deer in unit 01A: 158 white-tailed and 2 mule deer, and 685 residents named it as their first choice in the first drawing.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest and first-choice applicants: GFP harvest projections, 2020 to 2025. Licenses and seasons: GFP 2026 application. Land: GFP map layers.
| GFP's description | Minnehaha (restrictions; see unit desc.) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Minnehaha |
| Season | East River deer, November 21 - December 6, 2026 |
| Licenses, 2026 | 300 resident |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 160 (GFP projection) |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2025 | 685 |
| First draw, 2026 | May 27 to June 23, 2026 |
How many deer licenses does unit 01A have in 2026?
300 resident licenses, by GFP's 2026 application.
| Type | What the license allows | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | one any deer | 300 | leftovers only |
Source: GFP 2026 east river deer application.
How many deer are taken in unit 01A?
GFP projects 160 deer were taken in unit 01A in 2025, 1% of them mule deer, from 399 licenses sold. That is 42% fewer than in 2020. The most in these years was 316 in 2022, the fewest 160 in 2025. GFP puts hunter success at 40%.
| Year | Deer taken | Bucks | Does and fawns | White-tailed | Mule deer | Licenses sold | First-choice resident applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 160 | 126 | 34 | 158 | 2 | 399 | 685 |
| 2024 | 227 | 135 | 93 | 228 | 0 | 606 | 724 |
| 2023 | 256 | 149 | 106 | 255 | 0 | 601 | 842 |
| 2022 | 316 | 199 | 118 | 317 | 0 | 598 | 830 |
| 2021 | 296 | 182 | 114 | 294 | 2 | 594 | 1,184 |
| 2020 | 275 | 160 | 114 | 274 | 0 | 651 | 771 |
Sources: GFP, 2025 East River Firearm Deer harvest report; GFP, 2024 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2025-07); GFP, 2023 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2024-04); GFP, 2022 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2023-05); GFP, 2021 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2022-08); GFP, 2020 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2021-12). GFP rounds each column of its projection.
Each license type in 2025
Type 01 had 685 first-choice resident applicants for 400 resident licenses.
| Type | License | Resident first-choice applicants | Resident licenses available | Resident licenses sold | Nonresident first-choice applicants | Nonresident licenses available | Hunter success | Deer taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | one any deer | 685 | 400 | 399 | leftovers | 40% | 160 |
Licenses sold can include later drawings and leftovers.
When is deer season in unit 01A in 2026?
November 21 - December 6, 2026; antlerless-only tags also December 12-20; the first draw closed June 23, 2026 (GFP 2026 east river deer application). Every season's dates are on the South Dakota page.
What public land is in the county of unit 01A?
For the whole county, as GFP publishes no unit lines:
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Game production area acres | School and public land acres | Federal land acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | 394 | 2,438 | 0 | 4,735 |
Game production areas in Minnehaha County: Weisensee GPA (491 acres, Minnehaha), Grass Lake GPA (358 acres, Minnehaha), Diamond Lake GPA (265 acres, Minnehaha), Twin Lakes - Minnehaha GPA (256 acres, Minnehaha), Scott Lake GPA (239 acres, Minnehaha), Horsted GPA (228 acres, Minnehaha), Pederson GPA (163 acres, Minnehaha) and Island Lake - Minnehaha GPA (130 acres, Minnehaha).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in unit 01A for 2026?
GFP's 2026 application lists 300 resident "one any deer" licenses (type 01) for unit 01A. East River licenses go to residents; nonresidents can buy leftovers only.
How many deer are taken in unit 01A?
GFP projects 160 deer were taken in unit 01A in 2025, 158 white-tailed and 2 mule deer. In 2020 the figure was 275. The projection comes from GFP's survey of license holders.
Is unit 01A mostly white-tailed or mule deer?
White-tailed deer, by GFP's 2025 projection: 2 mule deer and 158 white-tailed deer of the 160 taken; in 2020, 0 of 275 were mule deer.
What county is deer unit 01A in?
GFP describes unit 01A as "Minnehaha (restrictions; see unit desc.)", in Minnehaha County. GFP's interactive hunting unit map shows the exact line.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, licenses sold and first-choice applicants: GFP, 2025 East River Firearm Deer harvest report; GFP, 2024 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2025-07); GFP, 2023 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2024-04); GFP, 2022 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2023-05); GFP, 2021 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2022-08); GFP, 2020 Annual Report, Big Game Harvest Projections (Game Report 2021-12).
- 2026 licenses, seasons and draws: GFP 2026 east river deer application.
- Land: GFP public hunting atlas layers (Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land) and GFP Managed Lands. County lines: U.S. Census Bureau 2024.
FilledTag is not part of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Numbers are copied from GFP or measured from the maps it publishes; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.