Waterfowl Production Area · Benson County, North Dakota

Peterson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 243 acres, Peterson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Benson County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Devils Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Benson 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.

243GIS acres
240deeded acres
Benson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Peterson 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 Benson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Peterson 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 Peterson WPA

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Destination: Peterson Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
48.22792, -99.72883
DMS
48°13′40.5″N 99°43′43.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Rugby, ND16 mi SE of town
  • Devils Lake, ND40 mi W of town
  • Bottineau, ND53 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl71 mi

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

Shooting hours at Peterson WPA

Today at Peterson 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, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM8:23 PM13h 28m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:54 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM7:20 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM6:52 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM5:22 PM9h 59m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM5:02 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:38 AM8:08 AM4:48 PM8h 40m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:52 AM8:22 AM4:45 PM8h 23m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:59 AM8:29 AM4:54 PM8h 25m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:54 AM8:24 AM5:10 PM8h 45m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM5:35 PM9h 28m

Computed for 48.228, -99.729 (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
Round Lake WPA120.6 mi NEBenson County
Olson WPA792.0 mi NBenson County
Alkali Slough WPA802.3 mi SBenson County
Volk WPA1772.3 mi NEBenson County
Long Lake WPA583.2 mi NWBenson County
Iowa Lake WPA163.5 mi WBenson County
Ida WPA393.6 mi NBenson County
Carr WPA1194.3 mi NBenson County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 29 mi E

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 39 mi SE

1 closed
No hunting listed

Devils Lake WMD

Ramsey County, ND · 41 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

52.7K huntable acres

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