Deer unit 54A, South Dakota: licenses, harvest and hunting land
GFP's East River deer unit 54A is Potter. For 2026 GFP lists 450 resident licenses here in 2 license types. In 2025, by GFP's projection, hunters took 230 deer in unit 54A: 224 white-tailed and 7 mule deer, and 404 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 | Potter |
|---|---|
| Counties | Potter |
| Season | East River deer, November 21 - December 6, 2026 |
| Licenses, 2026 | 450 resident |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 230 (GFP projection) |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2025 | 404 |
| First draw, 2026 | May 27 to June 23, 2026 |
How many deer licenses does unit 54A have in 2026?
450 resident licenses, by GFP's 2026 application.
| Type | What the license allows | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | one any deer | 50 | leftovers only |
| 11 | one any whitetail deer | 400 | leftovers only |
Source: GFP 2026 east river deer application.
How many deer are taken in unit 54A?
GFP projects 230 deer were taken in unit 54A in 2025, 3% of them mule deer, from 453 licenses sold. That is 61% fewer than in 2020. The most in these years was 590 in 2020, the fewest 222 in 2024. By license type, GFP's hunter success ran from 52% (type 11) down to 43% (type 01).
| Year | Deer taken | Bucks | Does and fawns | White-tailed | Mule deer | Licenses sold | First-choice resident applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 230 | 203 | 28 | 224 | 7 | 453 | 404 |
| 2024 | 222 | 193 | 30 | 210 | 13 | 447 | 527 |
| 2023 | 252 | 232 | 20 | 236 | 16 | 451 | 579 |
| 2022 | 261 | 234 | 27 | 229 | 32 | 447 | 565 |
| 2021 | 239 | 217 | 21 | 217 | 21 | 437 | 886 |
| 2020 | 590 | 333 | 258 | 557 | 34 | 869 | 613 |
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 11: 382 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 | 22 | 50 | 53 | leftovers | 43% | 23 | |
| 11 | one any whitetail deer | 382 | 400 | 400 | leftovers | 52% | 207 |
Licenses sold can include later drawings and leftovers.
When is deer season in unit 54A 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 54A?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potter County | 3,970 | 3,990 | 21,402 | 928 |
Game production areas in Potter County: Siebrasse Area (DOT) GPA (1,721 acres, Potter), Whitlocks Bay GPA (1,293 acres, Potter), Dodge Draw GPA (936 acres, Potter) and Green Lake GPA (40 acres, Potter).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in unit 54A for 2026?
GFP's 2026 application lists 50 resident "one any deer" licenses (type 01) and 400 resident "one any whitetail deer" licenses (type 11) for unit 54A. East River licenses go to residents; nonresidents can buy leftovers only.
How many deer are taken in unit 54A?
GFP projects 230 deer were taken in unit 54A in 2025, 224 white-tailed and 7 mule deer. In 2020 the figure was 590. The projection comes from GFP's survey of license holders.
Is unit 54A mostly white-tailed or mule deer?
White-tailed deer, by GFP's 2025 projection: 7 mule deer and 224 white-tailed deer of the 230 taken; in 2020, 34 of 590 were mule deer.
What county is deer unit 54A in?
GFP describes unit 54A as "Potter", in Potter 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.