Deer unit 46A, South Dakota: licenses, harvest and hunting land
GFP's East River deer unit 46A is McCook. For 2026 GFP lists 200 resident licenses here, all type 01. In 2025, by GFP's projection, hunters took 102 deer in unit 46A, all white-tailed, and 227 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 | McCook |
|---|---|
| Counties | McCook |
| Season | East River deer, November 21 - December 6, 2026 |
| Licenses, 2026 | 200 resident |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 102 (GFP projection) |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2025 | 227 |
| First draw, 2026 | May 27 to June 23, 2026 |
How many deer licenses does unit 46A have in 2026?
200 resident licenses, by GFP's 2026 application.
| Type | What the license allows | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | one any deer | 200 | leftovers only |
Source: GFP 2026 east river deer application.
How many deer are taken in unit 46A?
GFP projects 102 deer were taken in unit 46A in 2025, all of them white-tailed, from 252 licenses sold. That is 66% fewer than in 2020. The most in these years was 340 in 2022, the fewest 102 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 | 102 | 85 | 17 | 102 | 0 | 252 | 227 |
| 2024 | 243 | 139 | 103 | 242 | 0 | 636 | 680 |
| 2023 | 313 | 176 | 135 | 311 | 0 | 651 | 724 |
| 2022 | 340 | 200 | 139 | 339 | 0 | 650 | 710 |
| 2021 | 303 | 143 | 161 | 304 | 0 | 650 | 1,097 |
| 2020 | 299 | 177 | 122 | 299 | 0 | 552 | 660 |
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 227 first-choice resident applicants for 250 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 | 227 | 250 | 252 | leftovers | 40% | 102 |
Licenses sold can include later drawings and leftovers.
When is deer season in unit 46A 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 46A?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCook County | 2,745 | 2,931 | 0 | 3,491 |
Game production areas in McCook County: East Vermillion Lake GPA (1,541 acres, McCook), Ponderosa GPA (232 acres, McCook), Forsch Lake GPA (229 acres, McCook), Gross Lake GPA (188 acres, McCook), Island Lake - McCook GPA (176 acres, McCook), Healy Slough GPA (155 acres, McCook), Tuschen Lake GPA (144 acres, McCook) and Lehrman Slough GPA (83 acres, McCook).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in unit 46A for 2026?
GFP's 2026 application lists 200 resident "one any deer" licenses (type 01) for unit 46A. East River licenses go to residents; nonresidents can buy leftovers only.
How many deer are taken in unit 46A?
GFP projects 102 deer were taken in unit 46A in 2025, all white-tailed. In 2020 the figure was 299. The projection comes from GFP's survey of license holders.
Is unit 46A mostly white-tailed or mule deer?
White-tailed deer, by GFP's 2025 projection: 0 mule deer and 102 white-tailed deer of the 102 taken; in 2020, 0 of 299 were mule deer.
What county is deer unit 46A in?
GFP describes unit 46A as "McCook", in McCook 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.