County guide · South Dakota · SD WPAs

Waterfowl Production Areas & Public Hunting Land in Hutchinson County, SD

Hutchinson County has 5 named Waterfowl Production Areas covering 784 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land. The largest is Roth WPA at 249 acres; the average tract is about 157 acres, and 1 are smaller than 80 acres.

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

The county covers about 816 square miles and has roughly 7,427 residents. WPAs make up about 0.2% of its land area.

County mapAll 5 WPAsDownload KML
5named WPAs
784acres of WPA land
249largest WPA (ac)
1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson County

Largest WPAs (acres)
Roth WPA
249 ac
Hohn WPA
161 ac
Mayer WPA
158 ac
Henke WPA
150 ac
Ziebart WPA
67 ac
How big are the tracts? (number of WPAs by acres)
<4040–80: 1140–8080–160: 2280–160160–320: 22160–320320+
WPAAcresNearest townGPSGo
Roth WPA 249 28 mi S of Mitchell 43.31441, -97.91965 Map · Directions
Hohn WPA 161 17 mi S of Mitchell 43.45975, -98.04206 Map · Directions
Mayer WPA 158 29 mi SE of Mitchell 43.39680, -97.65370 Map · Directions
Henke WPA 150 28 mi S of Mitchell 43.30703, -97.91027 Map · Directions
Ziebart WPA 67 20 mi S of Mitchell 43.43117, -97.89970 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 Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson 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.

  • Mitchell, SD29 mi — county center is SE of town
  • Lake Andes, SD41 mi — county center is E of town
  • Sioux Falls, SD53 mi — county center is W of town
  • Madison, SD56 mi — county center is SW of town

Shooting hours in Hutchinson County

Today at Hutchinson 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

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:24 AM6:54 AM8:08 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM7:43 PM12h 34m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM7:14 PM11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM6:49 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM5:24 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:08 PM9h 45m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM4:57 PM9h 14m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM4:55 PM8h 60m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM5:04 PM9h 01m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:18 PM9h 18m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:17 AM7:47 AM5:40 PM9h 53m

Computed for 43.347, -97.758 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson County

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

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