South Dakota Elk — CAE-CAE-CU1
Custer State Park (antlerless, Oct 15-31)
South Dakota CAE-CAE-CU1 covers 5,511 acres. 100% of it is public land, mostly state land (100%). In 2018, hunters took 3 elk here. The 2026 draw put up 25 resident tags here for 2,244 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in CAE-CAE-CU1, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice resident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice resident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
<1% Point builder
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAE-CAE-CU1 ↗ Custer Antlerless Elk: CAE-CU1 - ONE ANTLERLESS ELK | <1% Point builder | — | 25 / 2,244 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 resident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per application | $20 | $20 | $215 |
Application window: opens Apr 15, closes May 19, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- State land 5,524 ac · 100%
- Private 0 ac · 0%
- State trust land 0 ac · 0%
- Other public 0 ac · 0%
How the hunting has gone
What South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks publishes these per hunt rather than per unit; the rows below add its own figures together, since a hunter holds one tag for the species in a season. 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.
| Season | Harvest |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 |
What people carried (2018 harvest)
- Firearm 3 · 100%