Deer unit 28A, South Dakota: licenses, harvest and hunting land
GFP's East River deer unit 28A is Faulk. For 2026 GFP lists 1,000 resident licenses here in 2 license types. In 2025, by GFP's projection, hunters took 508 deer in unit 28A: 502 white-tailed and 5 mule deer, and 1,195 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 | Faulk |
|---|---|
| Counties | Faulk |
| Season | East River deer, November 21 - December 6, 2026 |
| Licenses, 2026 | 1,000 resident |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 508 (GFP projection) |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2025 | 1,195 |
| First draw, 2026 | May 27 to June 23, 2026 |
How many deer licenses does unit 28A have in 2026?
1,000 resident licenses, by GFP's 2026 application.
| Type | What the license allows | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | one any deer | 600 | leftovers only |
| 13 | one antlerless whitetail deer | 400 | leftovers only |
Source: GFP 2026 east river deer application.
How many deer are taken in unit 28A?
GFP projects 508 deer were taken in unit 28A in 2025, 1% of them mule deer, from 998 licenses sold. That is 22% fewer than in 2020. The most in these years was 655 in 2020, the fewest 508 in 2025. By license type, GFP's hunter success ran from 55% (type 01) down to 40% (type 13).
| Year | Deer taken | Bucks | Does and fawns | White-tailed | Mule deer | Licenses sold | First-choice resident applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 508 | 320 | 187 | 502 | 5 | 998 | 1,195 |
| 2024 | 596 | 305 | 290 | 593 | 2 | 1,094 | 601 |
| 2023 | 603 | 321 | 280 | 597 | 4 | 1,102 | 657 |
| 2022 | 606 | 339 | 268 | 602 | 5 | 1,000 | 627 |
| 2021 | 563 | 303 | 260 | 561 | 2 | 993 | 879 |
| 2020 | 655 | 305 | 350 | 651 | 4 | 1,095 | 636 |
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
The license with the most first-choice applicants for each license was type 13: 924 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 | 271 | 600 | 601 | leftovers | 55% | 333 | |
| 13 | one antlerless whitetail deer | 924 | 400 | 397 | leftovers | 40% | 175 |
Licenses sold can include later drawings and leftovers.
When is deer season in unit 28A 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 28A?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faulk County | 8,972 | 2,248 | 12,103 | 2,723 |
Game production areas in Faulk County: Gerken Refuge GPA (953 acres, Faulk), South Scatterwood GPA (909 acres, Faulk), Sprague GPA (164 acres, Faulk), Lake Faulkton GPA (141 acres, Faulk) and Ingalls GPA (81 acres, Faulk).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in unit 28A for 2026?
GFP's 2026 application lists 600 resident "one any deer" licenses (type 01) and 400 resident "one antlerless whitetail deer" licenses (type 13) for unit 28A. East River licenses go to residents; nonresidents can buy leftovers only.
How many deer are taken in unit 28A?
GFP projects 508 deer were taken in unit 28A in 2025, 502 white-tailed and 5 mule deer. In 2020 the figure was 655. The projection comes from GFP's survey of license holders.
Is unit 28A mostly white-tailed or mule deer?
White-tailed deer, by GFP's 2025 projection: 5 mule deer and 502 white-tailed deer of the 508 taken; in 2020, 4 of 655 were mule deer.
What county is deer unit 28A in?
GFP describes unit 28A as "Faulk", in Faulk 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.