County guide · Montana · MT WPAs

Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Yellowstone County, MT

Yellowstone County has 1 named Waterfowl Production Area covering 487 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land.

WPAs here are managed by the Charles M. Russell Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).

The county covers about 2,648 square miles and has roughly 164,731 residents. WPAs make up about 0.0% of its land area.

County mapAll 1 WPAsDownload KML
1named WPAs
487acres of WPA land
487largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Yellowstone County

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — federally owned public land. Land outside them is almost always private. Switch to satellite to check water conditions and cover, and click any tract for coordinates.

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Waterfowl Production Area (public)County lineRefuge / station Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Take every tract with you:KML (Google Earth / onX)GPX waypoints

All Waterfowl Production Areas in Yellowstone County

WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Spidel WPA 487 29 mi NW of Billings 46.12926, -108.84731 Map · Directions

Acreage from USFWS realty GIS polygons. Coordinates are a point inside each tract — not necessarily a parking area. Look for designated parking and boundary signs on the ground.

Hunting WPAs in Yellowstone County: rules & tips

Typically allowed

  • Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Montana regulations
  • Walk-in access from roads and designated parking areas
  • Fishing and trapping where state and district rules allow
  • Wildlife watching, photography and dog training outside restricted periods

Common restrictions

  • No camping, fires or overnight use on most tracts
  • Motor vehicles only on designated roads and parking areas
  • Blinds and portable stands usually removed at the end of each day
  • Nontoxic shot required for waterfowl; many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
  • Some tracts have closed areas, refuge-style rules or seasonal restrictions

Getting to Yellowstone County

Distances below are straight-line from the center of the county. Most WPAs are reached by county and township gravel roads — download the GPX file and load it into your phone or GPS before you lose cell coverage.

  • Billings, MT15 mi — county center is NE of town
  • Lewistown, MT91 mi — county center is SE of town
  • Cody, WY105 mi — county center is N of town
  • Sheridan, WY106 mi — county center is NW of town

Shooting hours in Yellowstone County

Today at Yellowstone County

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Denver local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:03 AM6:33 AM7:54 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM7:27 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM6:55 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM6:29 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:22 AM6:52 AM5:01 PM10h 09m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM4:43 PM9h 31m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:04 AM7:34 AM4:31 PM8h 57m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM4:28 PM8h 41m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:25 AM7:55 AM4:37 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM4:52 PM9h 01m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:06 AM7:36 AM5:16 PM9h 40m

Computed for 45.972, -108.360 (MDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Yellowstone County

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Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Refuges & districts with land in Yellowstone County

Charles M. Russell WMD

Fergus County, MT

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

6.6K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.