South Dakota publishes deer harvest in a form FDR could rank for 86 hunt units. 24B (Little Moreau) is highest at 5.9 deer harvested per square mile in 2025. 13L (Brule GPA's/Corps) has 2.6 in 2025 and 15B (SW Butte/Lawrence) has 2.4 in 2025. Harvest in a hunt unit includes private land, so the public share is shown next to each unit. The rankings describe reported harvest and do not measure access or hunting pressure.
KEY FINDINGS
- 24B (Little Moreau) has the highest harvest per square mile at 5.9. The agency reported 27 deer on 2,936 acres in 2025.
- 86 hunt units are ranked. Ranks compare areas measured between 2023 and 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
South Dakota public land rankings
Best public land in South Dakota
Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Seasons measured 2023 through 2025. Captured October 19, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Public share includes state trust land that licensed hunters may use with conditions. It is an upper bound where some tracts are landlocked or excluded.
Download all ranked rows (CSV)
Hunt units
Top 15 of 86 ranked hunt units by deer harvest per square mile. Hunt units include private land, so the public share column shows how much of each unit is public land open to hunting.
15 of 86 hunt units shown
| 1 | 24B (Little Moreau) | 2,936 | 2025 | 27 | 5.9 | 4.6 | 100.0% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 13L (Brule GPA's/Corps) | 4,179 | 2025 | 17 | 2.6 | 5.1 | 78.7% | |
| 3 | 15B (SW Butte/Lawrence) | 248,704 | 2025 | 931 | 2.4 | 5.9 | 1.5% | |
| 4 | 27L (Hill Ranch Area) | 10,175 | 2025 | 27 | 1.7 | 13.7 | 86.0% | |
| 5 | BH1 (Black Hills) | 1,398,175 | 2025 | 3,665 | 1.7 | 1,607.0 | 73.6% | |
| 6 | 35L (Custer Nat Forest) | 72,608 | 2025 | 186 | 1.6 | 111.9 | 98.6% | |
| 7 | 32A (Hamlin) | Hamlin | 320,762 | 2025 | 676 | 1.3 | 13.1 | 2.6% |
| 8 | 05A (Codington) | Codington | 435,747 | 2025 | 892 | 1.3 | 20.3 | 3.0% |
| 9 | 06A (Brookings) | Brookings | 502,949 | 2025 | 936 | 1.2 | 12.6 | 1.6% |
| 10 | 29A (Grant) | Grant | 435,125 | 2025 | 768 | 1.1 | 11.3 | 1.7% |
| 11 | 45B (E Lyman) | 147,818 | 2025 | 252 | 1.1 | 10.0 | 4.3% | |
| 12 | 51A (Miner) | Miner | 360,250 | 2025 | 596 | 1.1 | 7.8 | 1.4% |
| 13 | 01A (Minnehaha) | Minnehaha | 515,333 | 2025 | 814 | 1.0 | 10.2 | 1.3% |
| 14 | 43A (Lake) | Lake | 354,546 | 2025 | 559 | 1.0 | 11.3 | 2.0% |
| 15 | 30A,B (Gregory) | Gregory | 648,992 | 2025 | 1,002 | 0.99 | 11.8 | 1.2% |
01Hunt units
86 hunt units ranked on harvest per square mile
24B (Little Moreau) has the most deer harvested per square mile at 5.9 in 2025. 13L (Brule GPA's/Corps) has 2.6 in 2025 and 15B (SW Butte/Lawrence) has 2.4 in 2025.
The public share is the part of each unit that is public land open to hunting. Public share includes state trust land that licensed hunters may use with conditions. It is an upper bound where some tracts are landlocked or excluded.
02Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR divided the agency's deer harvest by the area's size to get harvest per square mile. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Ranks compare areas measured between 2023 and 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
South Dakota figures add up the agency's estimates for every deer season in the unit. They are used only in years when every season table is available and the Black Hills sum matches the agency's own printed Black Hills total.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. Tied values share a rank and the order uses the unrounded values.
A ranking does not evaluate an individual property and does not confirm that it is open to hunting for you.
Sources
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Seasons measured 2023 through 2025. Captured October 19, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR rankings are independent analysis of state agency numbers. A ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
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