Deer unit 65A, South Dakota: licenses, harvest and hunting land
GFP's West River deer unit 65A is Oglala Lakota. For 2026 GFP lists 75 resident and 6 nonresident licenses here, all type 02. In 2025, by GFP's projection, hunters took 37 deer in unit 65A: 23 white-tailed and 14 mule deer, and 52 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 | Oglala Lakota |
|---|---|
| Counties | Oglala Lakota |
| Season | West River deer, November 14-29, 2026 |
| Licenses, 2026 | 75 resident, 6 nonresident |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 37 (GFP projection) |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2025 | 52 |
| First draw, 2026 | May 27 to June 23, 2026 |
How many deer licenses does unit 65A have in 2026?
75 resident and 6 nonresident licenses, by GFP's 2026 application.
| Type | What the license allows | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | one any buck deer | 75 | 6 |
Source: GFP 2026 west river deer application.
How many deer are taken in unit 65A?
GFP projects 37 deer were taken in unit 65A in 2025, 38% of them mule deer, from 76 licenses sold. That is 33% fewer than in 2020. The most in these years was 75 in 2022, the fewest 37 in 2025. GFP puts hunter success at 46%.
| Year | Deer taken | Bucks | Does and fawns | White-tailed | Mule deer | Licenses sold | First-choice resident applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 23 | 14 | 76 | 52 |
| 2024 | 54 | 52 | 2 | 27 | 27 | 81 | 42 |
| 2023 | 39 | 36 | 4 | 33 | 7 | 79 | 50 |
| 2022 | 75 | 72 | 3 | 39 | 36 | 81 | 58 |
| 2021 | 53 | 51 | 3 | 41 | 13 | 80 | 75 |
| 2020 | 55 | 45 | 10 | 35 | 20 | 80 | 63 |
Sources: GFP, 2025 West 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 02 had 52 first-choice resident applicants for 75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | one any buck deer | 52 | 75 | 74 | 3 | 6 | 46% | 37 |
Licenses sold can include later drawings and leftovers.
When is deer season in unit 65A in 2026?
November 14-29, 2026; antlerless-only tags also December 12-20; the first draw closed June 23, 2026 (GFP 2026 west river deer application). Every season's dates are on the South Dakota page.
What public land is in the county of unit 65A?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oglala Lakota County | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in unit 65A for 2026?
GFP's 2026 application lists 75 resident and 6 nonresident "one any buck deer" licenses (type 02) for unit 65A.
How many deer are taken in unit 65A?
GFP projects 37 deer were taken in unit 65A in 2025, 23 white-tailed and 14 mule deer. In 2020 the figure was 55. The projection comes from GFP's survey of license holders.
Is unit 65A mostly white-tailed or mule deer?
White-tailed deer, by GFP's 2025 projection: 14 mule deer and 23 white-tailed deer of the 37 taken; in 2020, 20 of 55 were mule deer.
What county is deer unit 65A in?
GFP describes unit 65A as "Oglala Lakota", in Oglala Lakota 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 West 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 west 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.
South Dakota hunting Oglala Lakota County