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McLean County, ND
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26.2K huntable acres
County guide · North Dakota · ND WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Ward County, ND
Ward County has 34 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 6,144 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Rovig WPA at 720 acres; the average tract is about 181 acres, and 8 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 2,056 square miles and has roughly 69,919 residents. WPAs make up about 0.5% of its land area.
34named WPAs
6.1Kacres of WPA land
720largest WPA (ac)
4refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Ward 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
All Waterfowl Production Areas in Ward County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rovig WPA | 720 | 25 mi W of Minot | 48.26740, -101.84421 |
Map · Directions |
| Danielson WPA | 430 | 17 mi N of Garrison | 47.89058, -101.41136 |
Map · Directions |
| McCulloch WPA | 409 | 23 mi W of Minot | 48.22406, -101.80425 |
Map · Directions |
| Haugen WPA | 324 | 19 mi W of Minot | 48.16071, -101.69034 |
Map · Directions |
| Brown WPA | 320 | 23 mi NW of Garrison | 47.93475, -101.66293 |
Map · Directions |
| Crosslands WPA | 318 | 23 mi W of Minot | 48.25842, -101.79807 |
Map · Directions |
| Kjallberg WPA | 312 | 20 mi S of Kenmare | 48.39047, -101.96259 |
Map · Directions |
| Hanson WPA | 240 | 22 mi W of Minot | 48.15891, -101.75525 |
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| Knutson WPA | 195 | 26 mi NW of Garrison | 47.95459, -101.73533 |
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| Road WPA | 179 | 22 mi SW of Minot | 48.02761, -101.68193 |
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| Albertson WPA | 170 | 20 mi N of Garrison | 47.93214, -101.38920 |
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| Weltikol WPA | 170 | 28 mi SW of Minot | 48.05874, -101.85214 |
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| Fox WPA | 161 | 20 mi NE of Garrison | 47.88463, -101.18071 |
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| Peterson WPA | 161 | 18 mi SW of Minot | 48.02650, -101.55002 |
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| Kohoutek WPA | 161 | 21 mi NE of Garrison | 47.88465, -101.14833 |
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| Galusha WPA | 161 | 28 mi SW of Minot | 48.04130, -101.83046 |
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| Day WPA | 161 | 19 mi S of Minot | 47.96773, -101.42507 |
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| Blum WPA | 160 | 24 mi W of Minot | 48.14802, -101.80353 |
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| East Muus WPA | 159 | 15 mi S of Minot | 48.02564, -101.37440 |
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| Field WPA | 158 | 17 mi S of Minot | 47.98958, -101.38465 |
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| Knudson WPA 160 deeded ac |
153 | 18 mi S of Minot | 47.96791, -101.34734 |
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| Nelson WPA | 148 | 20 mi N of Garrison | 47.93140, -101.48115 |
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| Vendler Johnson WPA | 116 | 25 mi SE of Minot | 47.92543, -101.00097 |
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| Brekke WPA | 96 | 22 mi S of Kenmare | 48.37542, -101.91217 |
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| Halden Schutz WPA | 89 | 24 mi S of Kenmare | 48.34895, -101.88167 |
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| Gaines WPA | 86 | 23 mi W of Minot | 48.14623, -101.77397 |
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| Orlien WPA | 80 | 29 mi SW of Minot | 48.00692, -101.82118 |
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| Rooks WPA | 79 | 24 mi NW of Garrison | 47.88743, -101.79965 |
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| Cameron WPA | 67 | 17 mi N of Garrison | 47.87521, -101.55361 |
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| Lee WPA | 40 | 7.1 mi W of Kenmare | 48.69201, -102.23116 |
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| Anna WPA | 40 | 25 mi SW of Minot | 47.99079, -101.71414 |
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| Kvam WPA | 31 | 29 mi W of Minot | 48.08615, -101.88026 |
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| Wolff WPA | 26 | 29 mi SW of Minot | 47.99311, -101.82025 |
Map · Directions |
| West Muus WPA | 25 | 14 mi S of Minot | 48.02833, -101.38608 |
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 Ward County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under North Dakota 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 Ward 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.
- Minot, ND7.9 mi — county center is W of town
- Garrison, ND38 mi — county center is N of town
- Kenmare, ND43 mi — county center is SE of town
- Bottineau, ND64 mi — county center is SW of town
Shooting hours in Ward County
Today at Ward County
Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–
*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Chicago local time.
Full season calculator →2026–2027 season sun table
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:30 PM | 13h 28m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 PM | 12h 40m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:27 PM | 11h 44m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:59 PM | 10h 56m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:29 PM | 9h 59m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:09 PM | 9h 18m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:44 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:55 PM | 8h 41m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:59 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:52 PM | 8h 23m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 8:06 AM | 8:36 AM | 5:01 PM | 8h 25m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 8:01 AM | 8:31 AM | 5:17 PM | 8h 45m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:45 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:42 PM | 9h 28m |
Computed for 48.198, -101.465 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Ward 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 Ward County
Refuge hunt units in Ward County
| Unit | Refuge | Status | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow Unit | Des Lacs NWR | !Special regs | 585 |
| Bow/Upland Unit | Des Lacs NWR | !Special regs | 275 |
| Hunting Unit | Des Lacs NWR | !Special regs | 13,151 |
| Closed Unit | Des Lacs NWR | ✕Closed | 216 |
| Unit South of Dam | Upper Souris NWR | !Special regs | 6,838 |
| Closed Unit | Upper Souris NWR | ✕Closed | 189 |
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Burke County, ND 12 WPAs · 3.6K ac
- McHenry County, ND 29 WPAs · 5.8K ac
- McLean County, ND 40 WPAs · 12.4K ac
- Mountrail County, ND 50 WPAs · 11.5K ac
- Renville County, ND 4 WPAs · 310 ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.