South Dakota Elk CUE-CU1-21
Custer Elk: CU121 - ONE Any Elk in CUE-CU1 — Custer State Park, rifle only, Oct 1–31, 2026. 100% public land, mostly State land. Type 21.
No nonresident draw results are on file for this hunt. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks publishes resident results only, or none by residency. The numbers below are the resident draw.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
0 of 943 applicants at 0 points drew
Years to draw on points: —
- Resident Tags
- 35
- Applicants
- 11,887
- Success
- —
First-choice residents.
Points Needed to Draw
No cut was published in enough years to chart one.
Insufficient history (0 of 3 draws) — a creep trend needs at least three draw years with a published drew-out level.
Wait 9 years after drawing before applying again.
What It Costs · 2026 Resident Fees
Closes May 19 · 209 daysThe $10 Elk application fee, nonrefundable, per season is not refunded. The $10 habitat Stamp (18+, once per license year, required to apply) is not refunded. A preference point (optional) is $5, bought separately. Drawing adds the $195 resident Any Elk license.
- Opens
- Apr 15, 2027
- Closes
- May 19, 2027
- Results
- about May 27
Next application window: Open Apr 15 – May 19, 2027 (expected). Dates are last cycle's, rolled forward until South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks publishes 2027.
▸ Every Fee, With Sources
- Elk application fee, nonrefundable, per season · paid at application $10 SD GFP 2026 Elk application sheet
- Habitat Stamp (18+, once per license year, required to apply) · paid at application $10 SD GFP 2025 Deer Applications booklet
- Preference point (optional) · only for a point bought without applying — an unsuccessful applicant gets the point free $5 SD GFP 2026 GFP FAQ
- Resident Any Elk license · paid if drawn $195 SD GFP 2026 Elk application sheet
Details
Odds by Point Level · 2026 Draw
| Points | Chance | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–11 ← you | 0% same at every level | 6,207 | 0 |
| 12 | <1% | 310 | 1 |
| 13 | <1% | 275 | 1 |
| 14–24 | <1% same at every level | 3,347 | 9 |
| 25–27 | <1% same at every level | 617 | 4 |
| 28 | 1% | 181 | 2 |
| 29–32 | 2% same at every level | 576 | 8 |
| 33–36 | 4% same at every level | 282 | 6 |
| 37–38 | 5% same at every level | 61 | 2 |
| 39–40 | 8% same at every level | 17 | 1 |
Preference points, computed from published point-level pools. A dash means South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks did not publish a count for that level. As a lower choice, CUE-CU1-21 drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: SD GFP 2026 GoOutdoors draw statistics, retrieved Sep 1, 2026.
How It Hunted, 2025
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| All of CUE-CU1 | — | 22 | — |
Adding up South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks' published lines for CUE-CU1 gives 22 elk taken in 2025 (sum of published weapon rows; hunter counts not published). South Dakota's figures are Game, Fish and Parks post-season survey estimates, expanded from mandatory hunter reporting by the response rate — not a count of animals checked in. Source: SD GFP 2018 Elk Harvest.
▸ Year-by-Year Numbers 4 draws
The standard draw for residents, one row per year.
| Year | Tags | Applicants | Per Tag | Points Needed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35 | 11,887 | 339.6 | — | SD GFP 2026 GoOutdoors draw statistics |
| 2025 | 25 | 10,386 | 415.4 | — | SD GFP 2025 GoOutdoors draw statistics |
| 2024 | 15 | 10,457 | 697.1 | — | SD GFP 2024 GoOutdoors draw statistics |
| 2023 | 11 | 9,725 | 884.1 | — | SD GFP 2023 GoOutdoors draw statistics |
▸ Legal Cartridges 20 on file for South Dakota elk
20 cartridges on file are legal for elk with a rifle in South Dakota, 3 of them depending on the load. Rules and sources: South Dakota hunting laws.
▸ Sources 10
- SD GFP 2026 GoOutdoors draw statistics draw results, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2025 GoOutdoors draw statistics earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2024 GoOutdoors draw statistics earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2023 GoOutdoors draw statistics earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2025 Elk application booklet draw rules, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2026 Elk application sheet fees, seasons, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2025 Deer Applications booklet fees, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2026 GFP FAQ fees, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2018 Elk Harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- SD GFP 2026 Hunt Unit Elk boundary, land ownership, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
About These Numbers
Odds are from the 2026 draw, the latest on file, computed from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks' published results (preference points, computed from published point-level pools). They are what happened in that draw, not a forecast. Under five tags a percentage carries a *, because one applicant either way swings it. A dash means the agency did not publish the number, and a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward.
Report an error on this page
We don't take applications: check South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks's site and apply there.
Prior-draw odds from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks' results, not a forecast · All South Dakota elk hunts