Please remember these are privately owned lands and your actions while hunting on them can determine if they are open to public hunting in the future.
Private Landowners, for more information on how to enroll your property, click here.
Walk-In Areas
Privately owned lands, operating as working farms and ranches. Walk-In Areas are leased for public hunting access by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks using money from the sale of hunting licenses and Federal Aid money from a tax on hunting equipment sales. No further permission from landowners is needed to hunt these areas. NO DRIVING is allowed on Walk-In Areas except on designated trails and parking areas.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
Open year round to public hunting and fishing access. CREP lands are owned by private individuals who have enrolled them in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and signed a lease agreement with South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks to provide public hunting and fishing access.
Administered by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, this program is a “state-sponsored” Conservation Reserve Program; providing additional undisturbed habitat for wildlife and public hunting access. In South Dakota, the focus is on improving water quality, reducing soil erosion and providing flood control while creating additional pheasant nesting habitat in the James River Watershed.
CREP participants receive higher rental rates than if they were to just enroll their land in CRP. Every acre enrolled in CREP is open to public hunting and fishing.
Controlled Hunting Access Program (CHAP)
Privately owned lands, operated as working farms and ranches, leased for public hunting access by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Landowners are paid based on the number of hunters that use these lands. It is important that hunters using a CHAP area complete the required check in registration slip and drop it in the self-service box so hunter use can be properly counted. Lease payments are paid with money from hunting license sales.
CHAP is a cooperative effort between private landowners and the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks to provide limited public hunting opportunities on private land. Landowners who enroll in CHAP have more control over hunter activities on their land; including controlling the number of hunters per day, the type of game that can be hunted, the type of seasons, the method of take (ex. archery only), and what days the CHAP is open.
Some CHAP areas require on-site registration, some require hunters to call the landowner to register and others use an online registration.
Once a registration is made, hunters need to deposit that registration in a check-in box located near a designated parking area on the CHAP property on the day of the hunt. Hunters should retain half of the registration as proof of permission until they have completed their hunt for the day. GFP requests that you drop the second half of the permission slip in the check-in box when you are done hunting for the day.
Make a reservation and log in using the username and password you used in 2021 to apply for or purchase hunting and fishing licenses.
View current CHAP areas
If you have any questions or problems regarding the reservation system, please contact Mark Norton at mark.norton@state.sd.us or 605.773.3096.
COOP Management Areas
Privately owned lands, operating as working farms and ranches, leased for public hunting access by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. These leases are paid for using money from the sale of hunting licenses and Federal Aid money from a tax on hunting equipment sales. No further permission is needed from the landowner to hunt these areas. Driving on harvested fields is allowed to place and retrieve waterfowl decoys. Hunters with a disabled hunting permit are also allowed to drive on these areas to hunt any game. All other access is limited to foot traffic only. No hunting while farm machinery is present. Most are located in the north east part of South Dakota.
Elk Hunting Access Program (EHAP)
The EHAP was developed to help address depredation complaints on private land and to increase hunter success. EHAP areas are lands owned by private individuals that are leased for public elk hunting access by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Money from the sale of hunting licenses is used to pay the leases. There is no driving on these areas. Permission is needed to hunt these areas and can be received by directly contacting the landowner. Contact the GFP office in Rapid City at 605.394.2391 to learn how to access these areas.
Lower Oahe Waterfowl Access Program
Privately owned lands, operating as working farms and ranches, leased for public hunting access by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks primarily for field waterfowl hunting. More information.
