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

Union County has 1 named Waterfowl Production Area covering 96 acres of federally owned, walk-in public land.

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 467 square miles and has roughly 16,811 residents. WPAs make up about 0.0% of its land area.

County map All 1 WPAs Download KML

1named WPAs

96acres of WPA land

96largest WPA (ac)

1refuges & districts

Map of WPAs in Union 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 Union County

WPA	Acres	Nearest town	GPS	Go
Collar WPA	96	25 mi NW of Sioux City	`42.73792, -96.77747`	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 Union 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 Union 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.

Sioux City, IA26 mi — county center is NW of town
Sioux Falls, SD52 mi — county center is S of town
Norfolk, NE64 mi — county center is NE of town
Spencer, IA83 mi — county center is W of town

Shooting hours in Union County

Today at Union County

Legal light*–

Sunrise–

Sunset–

Pick a date

*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	6:20 AM	6:50 AM	8:03 PM	13h 13m
Tue, Sep 15, 2026	6:35 AM	7:05 AM	7:39 PM	12h 34m
Thu, Oct 1, 2026	6:52 AM	7:22 AM	7:10 PM	11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 2026	7:08 AM	7:38 AM	6:46 PM	11h 08m
Sun, Nov 1, 2026	6:29 AM	6:59 AM	5:21 PM	10h 21m
Sun, Nov 15, 2026	6:48 AM	7:18 AM	5:05 PM	9h 47m
Tue, Dec 1, 2026	7:07 AM	7:37 AM	4:54 PM	9h 18m
Tue, Dec 15, 2026	7:20 AM	7:50 AM	4:53 PM	9h 04m
Fri, Jan 1, 2027	7:27 AM	7:57 AM	5:02 PM	9h 05m
Fri, Jan 15, 2027	7:24 AM	7:54 AM	5:16 PM	9h 21m
Mon, Feb 1, 2027	7:12 AM	7:42 AM	5:37 PM	9h 56m

Computed for 42.788, -96.714 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast for Union 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 Union County

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD

1 open1 special

🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Neighboring counties with WPAs

Clay County, SD 1 WPAs · 40 ac
Lincoln County, SD 2 WPAs · 179 ac

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