Waterfowl Production Area · Hill County, Montana

Sands Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 379 acres, Sands Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Hill County, Montana. It is managed by the Benton Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Hill 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 Benton Lake WMD rules →
379GIS acres
379deeded acres
Hill Countycounty
1WPAs within 40 mi

Sands 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 Hill County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Sands WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Montana 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 Sands WPA

Navigate

Destination: Sands Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
48.53392, -109.75334
DMS
48°32′02.1″N 109°45′12.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Havre, MT3.5 mi W of town
  • Malta, MT87 mi W of town
  • Great Falls, MT101 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • GTF Great Falls Intl104 mi

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

Shooting hours at Sands WPA

Today at Sands WPA

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Denver local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:04 AM6:34 AM8:03 PM13h 29m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:24 AM6:54 AM7:34 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM7:00 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM6:32 PM10h 55m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:33 AM7:03 AM5:01 PM9h 58m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM4:41 PM9h 16m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:27 PM8h 38m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:34 AM8:04 AM4:24 PM8h 20m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:32 PM8h 22m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM4:49 PM8h 43m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:19 AM7:49 AM5:15 PM9h 26m

Computed for 48.534, -109.753 (MDT / 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
Holm WPA2,28625 mi NEBlaine County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Thibadeau NWR

Hill County, MT · 16 mi NE

1 open
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇

24 huntable acres

Creedman Coulee NWR

Hill County, MT · 29 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇

84 huntable acres

Black Coulee NWR

Blaine County, MT · 62 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇

643 huntable acres

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