Union leads South Dakota's Buck Index at 71, followed by Hand at 65. Clay and Yankton share a displayed score of 62 in third and fourth place. On the national scale, South Dakota's counties score low, and the median county scores 33. The county order compares documented big-buck history per estimated bow-huntable acre. Permits, unit boundaries and property access remain separate decisions.
KEY FINDINGS
- Union leads South Dakota at 71. Hand follows at 65. No county is marked as inside a big metro, so the leader is named for the whole state.
- South Dakota's counties score low on the national scale. The median county scores 33. Union leads the state at 71.
- Clay and Yankton share a displayed score of 62. They hold third and fourth place in the state order.
- All 66 counties are rated. The score is a relative Buck Index, not an official county harvest rate.
South Dakota county finder
Where does your county rank?
Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
10 of 66 entries shown
| State rank | County | Buck Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union | 71 |
| 2 | Hand | 65 |
| 3 | Clay | 62 |
| 4 | Yankton | 62 |
| 5 | Roberts | 60 |
| 6 | Marshall | 58 |
| 7 | Minnehaha | 56 |
| 8 | Clark | 53 |
| 9 | Hyde | 52 |
| 10 | Edmunds | 51 |
01County comparison
Union leads, with Hand and Clay next
Union holds first place at 71 and Hand second at 65. Clay and Yankton share a displayed score of 62 in third and fourth place.
Union's 71 sits on a 0 to 100 scale built for the whole country, so the score reads against that wider comparison. The denominator is modeled bow-huntable acreage. A county with less qualifying acreage can rank high when its documented big-buck history is large relative to that acreage. The score does not identify which parcel produced that history or whether a hunter can gain access to it.
02County comparison
Roberts through Clark fill places five through eight
Roberts follows at 60 in fifth place, and Marshall is sixth at 58. Minnehaha is seventh at 56, and Clark is eighth at 53.
Edmunds, Brookings and Lincoln share a displayed score of 51 in tenth through twelfth place. The top two counties sit six points apart, and the three counties at the bottom share 13. The full table is more useful than a short winners list when a specific property becomes available.
03County comparison
Brule, Pennington and Oglala Lakota sit in different parts of the table
Brule is fiftieth at 24. Pennington is sixty-second at 15, and Oglala Lakota sixty-sixth at 13.
Union's 71 is above Minnehaha's 56 and Pennington's 15 under this measure. That is a documented gap in county history after the acreage adjustment. The score does not say why the gap exists, and explaining it would take evidence beyond the score.
04County comparison
Keep the county, the hunting unit and the property together
The state wildlife agency's deer hunting information provides agency context for deer hunting in South Dakota. This report does not translate the Buck Index into harvest totals or unit allocations. Before a county becomes a trip, check the season and permit conditions for the exact ground being considered.
The state wildlife agency's hunting area information is the next place to check for access. Start with a county you can actually reach, then compare the substitutes that fit the same trip. Access may settle the decision before the index does.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR derived this October 17, 2026 snapshot from the 2011 through 2025 history window. Scores use estimated bow-huntable acreage and national scaling. They are sensitive to reporting and modeled-area choices. The public display ranges from 0 to 100, with no interpretation as harvest odds, population density or guaranteed access.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
Keep reading
FDR Scout puts county harvest history like this on the map of the ground you hunt. Open Scout →