Waterfowl Production Area · Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Hensch Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Hensch Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 347 acres located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Fergus Falls Wetland Management District as part of the Otter Tail 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.

347GIS acres
346deeded acres
Otter Tail Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Hensch 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 Otter Tail County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Hensch WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Minnesota 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 Hensch WPA

Navigate

Destination: Hensch Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
46.16729, -96.24261
DMS
46°10′02.2″N 96°14′33.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Fergus Falls, MN11 mi SW of town
  • Wahpeton, ND19 mi E of town
  • Morris, MN43 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl59 mi

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

Shooting hours at Hensch WPA

Today at Hensch 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, 20266:14 AM6:44 AM8:06 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM7:39 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM7:07 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:40 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM5:12 PM10h 08m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM4:54 PM9h 30m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM4:42 PM8h 56m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM4:39 PM8h 39m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM4:48 PM8h 41m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM5:03 PM8h 60m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:18 AM7:48 AM5:27 PM9h 39m

Computed for 46.167, -96.243 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

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

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Jorgenson WPA2372.2 mi EOtter Tail County
Rabbit River WPA6043.1 mi SEOtter Tail County
Meyer Prairie WPA1394.0 mi SOtter Tail County
Dahler Slough WPA1945.1 mi SEOtter Tail County
Ridgeway WPA1,6035.4 mi NOtter Tail County
Busko WPA4685.7 mi EOtter Tail County
Lightning Lake WPA3596.1 mi SEOtter Tail County
Bergerud WPA226.2 mi EOtter Tail County

Closest refuges & districts

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 11 mi NE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 41 mi SE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Detroit Lakes WMD

Becker County, MN · 51 mi N

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

50.2K huntable acres

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