Waterfowl Production Area · Polk County, Minnesota

Vaa Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 161 acres, Vaa Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Polk County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District as part of the Polk County Waterfowl Production Area of Mn 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 Detroit Lakes WMD rules →
161GIS acres
160deeded acres
Polk Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Vaa 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 Polk County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Vaa 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 Vaa WPA

Navigate

Destination: Vaa Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.65527, -95.81667
DMS
47°39′19.0″N 95°49′00.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Thief River Falls, MN36 mi SE of town
  • Bemidji, MN46 mi W of town
  • Detroit Lakes, MN58 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl66 mi

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

Shooting hours at Vaa WPA

Today at Vaa 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, 20266:10 AM6:40 AM8:06 PM13h 26m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM7:38 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM7:05 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM6:37 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:07 PM10h 02m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:48 PM9h 21m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM4:34 PM8h 45m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:34 AM8:04 AM4:32 PM8h 27m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:41 AM8:11 AM4:40 PM8h 29m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM4:56 PM8h 49m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM5:21 PM9h 31m

Computed for 47.655, -95.817 (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
Hill River WPA6301.4 mi NWPolk County
Salvhus WPA3801.6 mi NEPolk County
Halverson WPA1632.1 mi SWPolk County
Hendrickson Lake WPA792.6 mi EPolk County
McIntosh WPA364.0 mi SWPolk County
Espeseth WPA1634.7 mi SWPolk County
Hanson WPA1585.6 mi WPolk County
Lepier WPA1605.6 mi SPolk County

Closest refuges & districts

Rydell NWR

Polk County, MN · 14 mi W

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

1.8K huntable acres

Glacial Ridge NWR

Polk County, MN · 22 mi W

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

17.4K huntable acres

Hamden Slough NWR

Becker County, MN · 47 mi S

3 special
🦌🦆

3.4K huntable acres

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