Deer unit 13L, South Dakota: licenses, harvest and hunting land
GFP's East River deer unit 13L is Brule, public lands around Brule Bottom and Pease GPAs. For 2026 GFP lists 20 resident licenses here, all type 01. In 2025, by GFP's projection, hunters took 13 deer in unit 13L: 7 white-tailed and 7 mule deer, and 32 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 | Brule, public lands around Brule Bottom and Pease GPAs |
|---|---|
| Counties | Brule |
| Season | East River deer, November 21 - December 6, 2026 |
| Licenses, 2026 | 20 resident |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 13 (GFP projection) |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2025 | 32 |
| First draw, 2026 | May 27 to June 23, 2026 |
| Other deer units in these counties | Deer unit 13A |
How many deer licenses does unit 13L have in 2026?
20 resident licenses, by GFP's 2026 application.
| Type | What the license allows | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | one any deer | 20 | leftovers only |
Source: GFP 2026 east river deer application.
How many deer are taken in unit 13L?
GFP projects 13 deer were taken in unit 13L in 2025, 54% of them mule deer, from 20 licenses sold. That is 8% more than in 2020. The most in these years was 15 in 2022, the fewest 10 in 2023. GFP puts hunter success at 67%.
| Year | Deer taken | Bucks | Does and fawns | White-tailed | Mule deer | Licenses sold | First-choice resident applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 32 |
| 2024 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 96 |
| 2023 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 21 | 100 |
| 2022 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 101 |
| 2021 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 18 | 82 |
| 2020 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 20 | 79 |
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 32 first-choice resident applicants for 20 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 | 32 | 20 | 20 | leftovers | 67% | 13 |
Licenses sold can include later drawings and leftovers.
When is deer season in unit 13L 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 13L?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brule County | 45 | 8,916 | 0 | 3,097 |
Game production areas in Brule County: Brule Bottom GPA (2,137 acres, Brule), Boyer GPA (2,037 acres, Brule), Elm Creek GPA (1,292 acres, Brule), Chain Lake (Holoubek) GPA (1,086 acres, Brule), Burning Brule GPA (929 acres, Brule), Hoover GPA (840 acres, Brule), Chamberlain GPA (420 acres, Brule) and Lake Sixteen GPA (68 acres, Brule).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in unit 13L for 2026?
GFP's 2026 application lists 20 resident "one any deer" licenses (type 01) for unit 13L. East River licenses go to residents; nonresidents can buy leftovers only.
How many deer are taken in unit 13L?
GFP projects 13 deer were taken in unit 13L in 2025, 7 white-tailed and 7 mule deer. In 2020 the figure was 12. The projection comes from GFP's survey of license holders.
Is unit 13L mostly white-tailed or mule deer?
Mule deer, by GFP's 2025 projection: 7 mule deer and 7 white-tailed deer of the 13 taken; in 2020, 4 of 12 were mule deer.
What county is deer unit 13L in?
GFP describes unit 13L as "Brule, public lands around Brule Bottom and Pease GPAs", in Brule 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.