Planning on heading to South Dakota in late August for my first PD hunt. Any advise on where to start? I'm not looking to steal anyone's "honey hole"....rather I'd rather find access to some private hunting without bothering with a guide. I'd love to find some dogs as far east in the state as possible.

I've never been there to hunt PD's. And, if I was going and didn't have a place confirmed ahead of time, I would conact the Varmint Hunter's Association in Pierre, SD. Ask them for advice.
If you don't subscribe to their fine magazine, you might want to do that. I've had a subscription for a few years and enjoy reading the magazine. Sure has some great articles.
Their phone number is:
1-800-528-4868

Don

Catch the epic I did for "london hunter." Luck.

I hunt out there all the time. It has been a bad year in many places in South Dakota.
The areas south of HWY 90 has been hit hard with the Plague. Local rancher's poison and the plague has hurt the populations this year.
I don't have any great advise this year. Many of my special spots were devastated. Best thing to do is knock on doors and ask around. Northern Nebraska still has a good lot of dog towns. You may consider Wyoming too.

"Far east as possible..." You want short grass prairie which starts about the MIssouri River in SD, center of the state. As stated, nature is hardest on the pastuer poodles. Check with the state game department if you don't want to pay reservation fees. SW corner is Buffalo Gap Nat. Grassland. Open to anyone, free but beware the black footed ferret areas closed to shooting for that weasel. (They --the weasels-- hunt by night so this is about silly.) Center of state, Ft. Pierre Nat. Grassland. And Lower Brule Sioux rez. At one time SD extension had a list of ranchers begging for shooters. Before the drought. Might ask.

Beware "northern nebraska." From about Rushville to O'Neil/Ewing, etc. there are the "sand hills." And south to I 80 or more. Literally hills of sand. Supposedly blown out of the bottom of ancient "ocean" that is now Badlands Nat. Park, NW in SD. Sand collapses on the tunnels and the rats don't do so well. There are a few areas, hard to find, where there is little sand and small pockets, "dog towns." Ghee, no one wants to share. Ya think.

You don't indicate where you are coming from. No shortage of p'dogs east of Grand Island, NE (Home of Hornady) or Pierre, SD, but plowing messes up the towns and locals are less welcoming where you have more buildings and animals, not to mention people living closer together. Hit game departments, small town chambers of Commerce, "government hunters" ... this is common pass time for locals. They will help but don't "stay on top of things" and may send you to thin pickins that was 500 round days per shooter territory a decade back and will be again...

Basically, you gotta do your homework. Before makes for more shooting. luck.