South Dakota Unit 53C:deer draw odds & harvest
6 hunt codes for deer. 2026: 100 to 500 tags, 24 to 745 applicants per hunt.
Hardest draw in Unit 53C2026 draw
53C11250 tags, 172 applied, 28% drew.
51st hardest of 316 South Dakota deer draws in 2026.
At a glance
Deer hunt codes
6
West river deer · wrd
Tags · 2026
950
across 4 hunts
Applicants · 2026
163
0.2 per tag
Harvest success 3-yr
35–73%
Hunt codes
Deer huntsin Unit 53C
Whole-hunt draw results: applicants, tags and the share that drew.
| Hunt code | What it is | Draw result · 2026 | Tags | Success 3-yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53C01 | west river deer · November 14-29, 2026South Perkins | 1 of 10 drew | 500 | 65–73% |
| 53C09P | west river deer · November 14-29, 2026South Perkins | 23 of 39 drew | 100 | 35–64% |
| 53C11 | west river deer · November 14-29, 2026South Perkins | 3 of 100 drew | 250 | No harvest report |
| 53C13P | west river deer · November 14-29, 2026South Perkins | 14 of 14 drew | 100 | No harvest report |
| 53C18 | wrdPERKINS CO. south of SD 20 and MEADE CO. north | 76 of 190 drew | 250 | 63–67% |
| 53C19P | wrdPERKINS CO. south of SD 20 and MEADE CO. north | 31 of 31 drew | 100 | 54–70% |
Some hunt codes cover several units; the hunt page lists them all.
Harvest
How hunters didin Unit 53C.
Harvest success by hunt, 2020–2025
% success53C0161–73%
61%
69%
65%
73%
66%
20202021202220242025
53C1860–67%
64%
60%
64%
67%
63%
20202021202220242025
53C09P35–65%
65%
62%
64%
35%
2021202220242025
53C19P51–70%
51%
70%
63%
54%
2021202220242025
45%+28–45%Under 28%
Before you apply
- Tag fee
- “03 - one any antlerless deer $5 $10”
- Points
- “One point may be purchased each year the applicant is unsuccessful.”
- Application fee
- “A non-refundable $10 application fee is charged for each season applied for.”
Rules for 2026.
Season dates
- 53C01West River DeerNovember 14-29, 2026
- 53C09PWest River DeerNovember 14-29, 2026
- 53C11West River DeerNovember 14-29, 2026
- 53C13PWest River DeerNovember 14-29, 2026
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