Waterfowl Production Area · Barnes County, North Dakota

Bowen Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Bowen Waterfowl Production Area is a 210-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Barnes County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Valley City Wetland Management District as part of the Barnes 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.

210GIS acres
210deeded acres
Barnes Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Bowen 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 Barnes County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Bowen WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under North Dakota 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 Bowen WPA

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Destination: Bowen Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
46.88579, -98.39915
DMS
46°53′08.8″N 98°23′56.9″W

Nearest towns

  • Jamestown, ND15 mi E of town
  • Valley City, ND19 mi W of town
  • Carrington, ND52 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl75 mi

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

Shooting hours at Bowen WPA

Today at Bowen 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, 20266:21 AM6:51 AM8:16 PM13h 24m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM7:48 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM7:15 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM6:48 PM10h 59m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM5:19 PM10h 05m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM5:01 PM9h 25m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM4:48 PM8h 50m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:41 AM8:11 AM4:45 PM8h 34m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:48 AM8:18 AM4:54 PM8h 35m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:44 AM8:14 AM5:09 PM8h 55m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:34 PM9h 35m

Computed for 46.886, -98.399 (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
Knudtson WPA2101.4 mi SWBarnes County
Kieley WPA491.8 mi SWBarnes County
McLain WPA2172.2 mi NEBarnes County
Mansfield WPA1182.2 mi SEBarnes County
Dessenko WPA713.6 mi SEBarnes County
Wolvert WPA1004.9 mi SEBarnes County
Lettenmaier WPA1655.3 mi EBarnes County
Berntson WPA296.8 mi SEBarnes County

Closest refuges & districts

Valley City NFH

Barnes County, ND · 18 mi E

1 closed
🎣

Valley City WMD

Barnes County, ND · 19 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

19.7K huntable acres

Arrowwood NWR

Stutsman County, ND · 27 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

12.7K huntable acres

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