South Dakota Unit H2A:elk draw odds & harvest
2 hunt codes for elk, E-H2. 2026: 30 to 130 tags, 79 to 10,460 applicants per hunt.
Hardest draw in Unit H2A2026 draw
H2A21130 tags, 10,460 applied, 4% drew.
14th hardest of 59 South Dakota elk draws in 2026.
Odds for:Nonresident · 0 pts
Harvest success, 3 yr
20–63%
Hunt codes
Elk huntsin Unit H2A
Whole-hunt draw results: applicants, tags and the share that drew.
| Hunt code | What it is | Draw result · 2026 | Tags | Success 3-yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H2A21 | archery · Sep 1–Sep 30 | 31 of 31 drew | 130 | 47–63% |
| H2A23 | archery · Sep 1–Sep 30 | 30 of 79 drew | 30 | 20–23% |
Some hunt codes cover several units; the hunt page lists them all.
Harvest
How hunters didin Unit H2A.
Harvest success by hunt, 2019–2025
% successH2A2147–64%
51%
64%
64%
56%
63%
47%
56%
2019202020212022202320242025
H2A236–23%
12%
6%
17%
21%
20%
20%
23%
2019202020212022202320242025
45%+28–45%Under 28%
Before you apply
- Points
- “30% of all licenses available, and any remaining licenses from the landowner pool, are issued at this point in the drawing sequence.”
- Application fee
- “A non-refundable $10 application fee is charged for each season applied for.”
- Deadline
- “Access Permit 11/05/2026 12/03/2026, 08:00 AM CST 12/04/2026”
- Tag fee
- “21 - one any elk $195”
Rules for 2027.
Season dates · 2026
- H2A21Archery Elk · archerySep 1–Sep 30
- H2A23Archery Elk · archerySep 1–Sep 30
Confirm in the regulations before you go.
Public land & access
Each program opens on the state's site. Check on-the-ground signage.
Ask FarWide
Answers use the same figures as this page.
Source: SDGFP · Updated Nov 13, 2026