Waterfowl Production Area · Dickinson County, Iowa

Cayler Prairie Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Cayler Prairie Waterfowl Production Area is a 71-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Dickinson County, Iowa. It is managed by the Iowa Wetland Management District as part of the Dickinson County Waterfowl Production Area group of WPAs. Waterfowl Production Areas are purchased largely with Federal Duck Stamp dollars and are generally open to hunting, trapping and fishing under state regulations, with some federal restrictions.

Navigate here Satellite map Iowa WMD rules →
71GIS acres
71deeded acres
Dickinson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Cayler Prairie WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

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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 WPAs in Dickinson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Cayler Prairie WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Iowa regulations
  • Walk in from roads or designated parking areas — vehicles generally stay off the tract
  • Fish and trap where state rules and district regulations allow
  • Wildlife watching, photography and hiking

Common restrictions

  • No camping, fires or overnight use on most WPAs
  • Motorized vehicles only on designated roads/parking
  • Temporary blinds and stands usually must be removed daily
  • Non-toxic shot required for waterfowl — many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
  • Some tracts have closed areas or special regulations — check signs

How to get to Cayler Prairie WPA

Navigate

Destination: Cayler Prairie Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.39911, -95.25561
DMS
43°23′56.8″N 95°15′20.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Spencer, IA19 mi N of town
  • Windom, MN33 mi S of town
  • Sioux Falls, SD75 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional75 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

Shooting hours at Cayler Prairie WPA

Today at Cayler Prairie WPA

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, 20266:13 AM6:43 AM7:58 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM7:33 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM7:04 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM6:39 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM5:14 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:43 AM7:13 AM4:58 PM9h 44m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM4:47 PM9h 14m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM4:45 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:23 AM7:53 AM4:54 PM9h 01m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:08 PM9h 18m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:07 AM7:37 AM5:30 PM9h 53m

Computed for 43.399, -95.256 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

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

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Santee Prairie WPA4542.1 mi NDickinson County
Yager Slough WPA5392.2 mi WDickinson County
West Lake Okoboji WPA1402.9 mi EDickinson County
Dugout Creek WPA7883.0 mi WDickinson County
Iowa National Heritage Foundation WPA813.3 mi EDickinson County
Cory Marsh WPA713.9 mi NDickinson County
Garlock Slough WPA3474.4 mi SEDickinson County
McClurg WPA1195.1 mi NEDickinson County

Closest refuges & districts

Windom WMD

Cottonwood County, MN · 33 mi N

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

17.8K huntable acres

Union Slough NWR

Kossuth County, IA · 57 mi E

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

2.8K huntable acres

Iowa WMD

Kossuth County, IA · 58 mi E

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

27.5K huntable acres

Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Dickinson County Waterfowl Production Area. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.