Huron WMD
Beadle County, SD
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17.5K huntable acres
County guide · South Dakota · SD WPAs
Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Hand County, SD
Hand County has 16 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 3,984 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Spring Lake WPA at 620 acres; the average tract is about 249 acres, and 5 are smaller than 80 acres.
WPAs here are managed by the Huron Wetland Management District, which sets any district-specific rules (vehicle access, blinds, nontoxic shot, closed areas).
The county covers about 1,430 square miles and has roughly 3,145 residents. WPAs make up about 0.4% of its land area.
16named WPAs
4Kacres of WPA land
620largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts
Map of WPAs in Hand 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 Hand County
| WPA | Acres | Nearest town | GPS | Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Lake WPA | 620 | 34 mi W of Huron | 44.27000, -98.88732 |
Map · Directions |
| Campbell WPA | 481 | 33 mi W of Huron | 44.37404, -98.87419 |
Map · Directions |
| Slunecka WPA | 480 | 52 mi NW of Huron | 44.71442, -99.13526 |
Map · Directions |
| VenJohn WPA | 473 | 59 mi SW of Aberdeen | 44.80169, -99.27504 |
Map · Directions |
| Millerdale WPA | 443 | 47 mi W of Huron | 44.38958, -99.16035 |
Map · Directions |
| Cahalan WPA | 357 | 35 mi W of Huron | 44.37221, -98.91813 |
Map · Directions |
| Trechler WPA | 291 | 54 mi SW of Aberdeen | 44.87706, -99.23162 |
Map · Directions |
| Reinhardt WPA | 215 | 50 mi NW of Huron | 44.80686, -99.01210 |
Map · Directions |
| Boomsma WPA 190 deeded ac |
201 | 29 mi W of Huron | 44.24378, -98.76622 |
Map · Directions |
| Lingemann WPA | 159 | 41 mi NW of Huron | 44.82673, -98.73093 |
Map · Directions |
| Mullenberg WPA | 80 | 43 mi S of Aberdeen | 44.86282, -98.75381 |
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| Fischer WPA | 47 | 29 mi W of Huron | 44.27072, -98.79147 |
Map · Directions |
| Weideman WPA | 41 | 53 mi SW of Aberdeen | 44.81561, -99.09034 |
Map · Directions |
| Carlsen WPA | 40 | 40 mi W of Huron | 44.25991, -99.01134 |
Map · Directions |
| McGillvrey WPA | 38 | 28 mi W of Huron | 44.30251, -98.78064 |
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| Johnson WPA | 19 | 29 mi W of Huron | 44.29694, -98.79317 |
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 Hand County: rules & tips
Typically allowed
- Hunting waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under South 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 Hand 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.
- Huron, SD39 mi — county center is W of town
- Pierre, SD67 mi — county center is E of town
- Mitchell, SD67 mi — county center is NW of town
- Aberdeen, SD79 mi — county center is S of town
Shooting hours in Hand County
Today at Hand 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 | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:15 PM | 13h 17m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 PM | 12h 36m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:18 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:53 PM | 11h 05m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:27 PM | 10h 15m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:10 PM | 9h 39m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:59 PM | 9h 08m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:57 PM | 8h 53m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:06 PM | 8h 54m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:38 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:20 PM | 9h 12m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:43 PM | 9h 48m |
Computed for 44.374, -99.002 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.
7-day forecast for Hand 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 Hand County
Neighboring counties with WPAs
- Beadle County, SD 26 WPAs · 7.8K ac
- Buffalo County, SD 1 WPAs · 919 ac
- Faulk County, SD 10 WPAs · 2.8K ac
- Hyde County, SD 2 WPAs · 2.4K ac
- Jerauld County, SD 9 WPAs · 1.8K ac
- Spink County, SD 10 WPAs · 2.4K ac
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest) and Esri county boundaries. Page updated October 28, 2026.