Deer unit 10A, South Dakota: licenses, harvest and hunting land
GFP's East River deer unit 10A is Aurora. For 2026 GFP lists 200 resident licenses here, all type 11. In 2025, by GFP's projection, hunters took 110 deer in unit 10A, all white-tailed, and 431 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 | Aurora |
|---|---|
| Counties | Aurora |
| Season | East River deer, November 21 - December 6, 2026 |
| Licenses, 2026 | 200 resident |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 110 (GFP projection) |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2025 | 431 |
| First draw, 2026 | May 27 to June 23, 2026 |
How many deer licenses does unit 10A have in 2026?
200 resident licenses, by GFP's 2026 application.
| Type | What the license allows | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | one any whitetail deer | 200 | leftovers only |
Source: GFP 2026 east river deer application.
How many deer are taken in unit 10A?
GFP projects 110 deer were taken in unit 10A in 2025, all of them white-tailed, from 199 licenses sold. That is 55% fewer than in 2020. The most in these years was 244 in 2020, the fewest 110 in 2025. GFP puts hunter success at 55%.
| Year | Deer taken | Bucks | Does and fawns | White-tailed | Mule deer | Licenses sold | First-choice resident applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 110 | 98 | 11 | 109 | 0 | 199 | 431 |
| 2024 | 179 | 116 | 62 | 178 | 0 | 389 | 532 |
| 2023 | 227 | 146 | 83 | 229 | 0 | 400 | 558 |
| 2022 | 228 | 145 | 83 | 228 | 0 | 401 | 607 |
| 2021 | 215 | 150 | 65 | 215 | 0 | 390 | 805 |
| 2020 | 244 | 120 | 125 | 245 | 0 | 472 | 520 |
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 11 had 431 first-choice resident applicants for 200 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | one any whitetail deer | 431 | 200 | 199 | leftovers | 55% | 110 |
Licenses sold can include later drawings and leftovers.
When is deer season in unit 10A 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 10A?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora County | 1,685 | 2,320 | 950 | 4,907 |
Game production areas in Aurora County: Pleasant Lake GPA (633 acres, Aurora), Fish Lake GPA (392 acres, Aurora), Wilmarth Lake GPA (319 acres, Aurora), Humphries Slough GPA (238 acres, Aurora), Nelson Lake GPA (158 acres, Aurora), Crystal Lake GPA (157 acres, Aurora), Kramer Slough GPA (154 acres, Aurora) and Stickney Lake GPA (78 acres, Aurora).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in unit 10A for 2026?
GFP's 2026 application lists 200 resident "one any whitetail deer" licenses (type 11) for unit 10A. East River licenses go to residents; nonresidents can buy leftovers only.
How many deer are taken in unit 10A?
GFP projects 110 deer were taken in unit 10A in 2025, all white-tailed. In 2020 the figure was 244. The projection comes from GFP's survey of license holders.
Is unit 10A mostly white-tailed or mule deer?
White-tailed deer, by GFP's 2025 projection: 0 mule deer and 109 white-tailed deer of the 110 taken; in 2020, 0 of 244 were mule deer.
What county is deer unit 10A in?
GFP describes unit 10A as "Aurora", in Aurora County. GFP's interactive hunting unit map shows the exact line.
Get a South Dakota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for South Dakota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, South Dakota included.
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.