Deer unit 56A, South Dakota: licenses, harvest and hunting land
GFP's East River deer unit 56A is Sanborn. For 2026 GFP lists 150 resident licenses here, all type 11. In 2025, by GFP's projection, hunters took 94 deer in unit 56A, all white-tailed, and 673 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 | Sanborn |
|---|---|
| Counties | Sanborn |
| Season | East River deer, November 21 - December 6, 2026 |
| Licenses, 2026 | 150 resident |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 94 (GFP projection) |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2025 | 673 |
| First draw, 2026 | May 27 to June 23, 2026 |
How many deer licenses does unit 56A have in 2026?
150 resident licenses, by GFP's 2026 application.
| Type | What the license allows | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | one any whitetail deer | 150 | leftovers only |
Source: GFP 2026 east river deer application.
How many deer are taken in unit 56A?
GFP projects 94 deer were taken in unit 56A in 2025, all of them white-tailed, from 250 licenses sold. That is 65% fewer than in 2020. The most in these years was 319 in 2022, the fewest 94 in 2025. GFP puts hunter success at 37%.
| Year | Deer taken | Bucks | Does and fawns | White-tailed | Mule deer | Licenses sold | First-choice resident applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 94 | 82 | 11 | 93 | 0 | 250 | 673 |
| 2024 | 243 | 135 | 107 | 242 | 0 | 641 | 477 |
| 2023 | 308 | 184 | 125 | 309 | 0 | 649 | 505 |
| 2022 | 319 | 196 | 123 | 319 | 0 | 650 | 462 |
| 2021 | 279 | 161 | 116 | 277 | 0 | 644 | 688 |
| 2020 | 271 | 161 | 110 | 271 | 0 | 550 | 400 |
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 673 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | one any whitetail deer | 673 | 250 | 250 | leftovers | 37% | 94 |
Licenses sold can include later drawings and leftovers.
When is deer season in unit 56A 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 56A?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanborn County | 4,998 | 3,165 | 0 | 94 |
Game production areas in Sanborn County: Rifle-Calahan GPA (1,502 acres, Sanborn), Pintail Pass GPA (397 acres, Sanborn), Chip Allen - Sanborn GPA (373 acres, Sanborn), Looby School GPA (197 acres, Sanborn), McCoy Lake GPA (158 acres, Sanborn), Redstone GPA (157 acres, Sanborn), Horrigan GPA (156 acres, Sanborn) and Long Lake 2 GPA (143 acres, Sanborn).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in unit 56A for 2026?
GFP's 2026 application lists 150 resident "one any whitetail deer" licenses (type 11) for unit 56A. East River licenses go to residents; nonresidents can buy leftovers only.
How many deer are taken in unit 56A?
GFP projects 94 deer were taken in unit 56A in 2025, all white-tailed. In 2020 the figure was 271. The projection comes from GFP's survey of license holders.
Is unit 56A mostly white-tailed or mule deer?
White-tailed deer, by GFP's 2025 projection: 0 mule deer and 93 white-tailed deer of the 94 taken; in 2020, 0 of 271 were mule deer.
What county is deer unit 56A in?
GFP describes unit 56A as "Sanborn", in Sanborn 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.