Waterfowl Production Area · Pope County, Minnesota

Barsness Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 80 acres, Barsness Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Pope County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Morris Wetland Management District as part of the Pope 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 Morris WMD rules →
80GIS acres
80deeded acres
Pope Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Barsness 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 Pope County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Barsness 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 Barsness WPA

Navigate

Destination: Barsness Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.56097, -95.69400
DMS
45°33′39.5″N 95°41′38.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Morris, MN11 mi E of town
  • Alexandria, MN27 mi SW of town
  • Willmar, MN44 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl108 mi

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

Shooting hours at Barsness WPA

Today at Barsness 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, 20266:12 AM6:42 AM8:03 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM7:36 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:49 AM7:19 AM7:05 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM6:39 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM5:11 PM10h 11m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM4:54 PM9h 33m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:41 PM8h 60m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:25 AM7:55 AM4:39 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM4:48 PM8h 46m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:03 PM9h 04m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:14 AM7:44 AM5:26 PM9h 42m

Computed for 45.561, -95.694 (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
Walden WPA8142.0 mi SWPope County
Klevenberg WPA772.4 mi NPope County
Solvie WPA1383.2 mi NWStevens County
Little Chippewa River WPA3273.5 mi NEPope County
Lake Emily WPA1053.6 mi SPope County
Cyrus WPA763.8 mi NWPope County
Snetting WPA603.9 mi NPope County
Finden WPA2825.2 mi NEPope County

Closest refuges & districts

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 10 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Big Stone WMD

Big Stone County, MN · 38 mi SW

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

4.4K huntable acres

Big Stone NWR

Lac qui Parle County, MN · 39 mi SW

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

9.6K huntable acres

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