Waterfowl Production Area · McHenry County, North Dakota

Freelander Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 163 acres, Freelander Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in McHenry County, North Dakota. It is managed by the J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management District as part of the McHenry 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 J. Clark Salyer WMD rules →
163GIS acres
162deeded acres
McHenry Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Freelander 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 McHenry County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Freelander 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 Freelander WPA

Navigate

Destination: Freelander Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
48.38035, -100.65730
DMS
48°22′49.3″N 100°39′26.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Rugby, ND31 mi W of town
  • Minot, ND31 mi E of town
  • Bottineau, ND32 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl30 mi

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

Shooting hours at Freelander WPA

Today at Freelander 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, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM8:27 PM13h 28m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM7:58 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:10 AM7:40 AM7:24 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM6:55 PM10h 55m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM5:25 PM9h 58m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM5:05 PM9h 16m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:42 AM8:12 AM4:51 PM8h 39m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:57 AM8:27 AM4:48 PM8h 21m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:03 AM8:33 AM4:57 PM8h 23m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:59 AM8:29 AM5:13 PM8h 44m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:42 AM8:12 AM5:39 PM9h 27m

Computed for 48.380, -100.657 (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
Denbigh WPA965.8 mi SEMcHenry County
Weber WPA4816.1 mi WMcHenry County
Lee WPA11913 mi SMcHenry County
Mikes Peak WPA85813 mi SWMcHenry County
Keller WPA29115 mi SWMcHenry County
Martin WPA19216 mi SEMcHenry County
Eidmann C. WPA5717 mi SEMcHenry County
Eidmann F. WPA15017 mi SEMcHenry County

Closest refuges & districts

J. Clark Salyer NWR

McHenry County, ND · 15 mi N

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🐇🎣

58.9K huntable acres

J. Clark Salyer WMD

McHenry County, ND · 17 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

34K huntable acres

Upper Souris NWR

Renville County, ND · 45 mi W

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

32K huntable acres

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