Public hunting maps for South Dakota?

goldenboy

goldenboy

Well-known member
I am looking for the best maps people have found from the state of South Dakota to locate public hunting areas. I know there are different kinds of lands but does anyone have a good resource to help me find where these different plots are located and some rules that apply to the various different types of land. Planning a trip this fall and I am wanting to do some homework ahead of time to educate myself on laws, steel versus lead, different types of land and different rules, etc. Thanks in advance for the help!
 
Joel: SD Game Fish and Parks publishes a "Hunting Atlas." This publication has all the various kinds of public hunting lands. I'm looking at the one I received in 2014. It's divided into 32 section maps -shows misc. roads, street designations and is fairly easy to read. The map is free from the DNR.

There are maps available that indicate landowners with phone numbers. These maps are available from Western Cartographers, 800-752-3402, about $30 each.

Hope this helps.
 
The hunting atlas is also available online. If your planning on hunting just public I would use steel exclusively. There are different private lands with public access that allow lead but it's easier to just use the same on all. Less confusion makes it easier. Switching back and forth between shells is a pain in the butt.
 
If you have a smart phone you can download an app called "Avenza", this will allow you to download a georeferenced map to your phone and you can navigate to where you are looking to hunt. Very user friendly. Game and fish websites usually has individual maps for each county that you can down load or print off, I try to print the maps in 11"x17" if possible so I have a paper copy to make notes then I have one downloaded on my phone to navigate to. If they don't have the maps online, then send an email requesting individual county maps that are geo-reference and you should get some.

I'm sure others will way in and correct if i'm wrong, but any public land owned by the state or feds will require steel shot. The CREP and school lands do not. I have had success on all lands but school lands. The hunting atlas does a good job of explaining what can be done on what lands. I do prefer lead over steel, I carry two vest, one for lead and one for steel makes it easier then having to transfer shells when hopscotching from place to place. I shoot 20's, 16 and 12 gauges when out there for lead shot and only use my 12ga for steel and I drop down to #4's for steel as well, however, I'm looking to shoot 6's in steel next time out as I hunt with pointing dogs mostly and my shots are typically close. I also shoot my 870 so I can load up 6's then back those up with 4's.

Last piece of advice is make a daily game plan on where you are going to hunt and try to stick with it, otherwise to will constantly searching for a place to hunt. I hunt usually in early November and most of the fields I have hunting I could have limited within the first couple hours of hunting, if I could shoot straight.
 
I hunted in South Dakota for the first time last year. Between the atlas and the avenza app we had no problem finding the areas we wanted to hunt. I also agree that if you are going to hunt public, just go with steel shot and forget the lead. We shot all our birds with steel and had no problem. We shot number 3 's.
 
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Just get the new Hunting Atlas when it comes out. It's all you really need. Be aware that the Public School Lands are primarily pasture and offer very little pheasant habitat. The SD Game, Fish & Parks also has an app you can download on your smart phone.
 
I contacted SD fish and game requesting geo referenced maps for specific counties. The way there maps are done for the website they are not geo reference, however, if you contact them directly they will provide you the maps you wish to have. If I recall the free avenza only allows like three maps at a time. I have not used it since last hunting season so I'm not even sure if my still works......
 
Just use the public land map section of the SD GFP app on your phone. Or, if you are going to be hunting an area with poor cell signal, download the public land map to a GPS unit. Between the paper book and the app, you'll have your bases covered.
 
In past years, you were able to ask for the Hunting Atlas to be mailed directly to you. After reviewing the new SDGF website, I cannot locate this option. I have not picked up a new atlas in about 5 years. I use my old atlas with my notes.
Are they still printing paper copies of the Hunting Atlas?
 
I believe you need to call them...I couldn't find the option either.

Would assume they are still printing the paper maps.
 
Brimar1991 said:
In past years, you were able to ask for the Hunting Atlas to be mailed directly to you. After reviewing the new SDGF website, I cannot locate this option. I have not picked up a new atlas in about 5 years. I use my old atlas with my notes.
Are they still printing paper copies of the Hunting Atlas?
Click to expand...

yes, you can get the 2018 public hunting atlas now, request under FAQ column......i got 2 of them already.
they will mail them to you free of charge.
 
SPUR60 said:
Just use the public land map section of the SD GFP app on your phone. Or, if you are going to be hunting an area with poor cell signal, download the public land map to a GPS unit. Between the paper book and the app, you'll have your bases covered.
Click to expand...

This is good advice. We use older gps units while driving around with the atlas downloaded on the chip. We also have the paper book out too.
 
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