Waterfowl Production Area · Pierce County, North Dakota

Avocet Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 170 acres, Avocet Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Pierce County, North Dakota. It is managed by the J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management District as part of the Pierce 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.

170GIS acres
170deeded acres
Pierce Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Avocet 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 Pierce County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Avocet 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 Avocet WPA

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Destination: Avocet Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
48.25146, -99.88212
DMS
48°15′05.3″N 99°52′55.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Rugby, ND9.6 mi SE of town
  • Devils Lake, ND48 mi W of town
  • Bottineau, ND48 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl64 mi

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

Shooting hours at Avocet WPA

Today at Avocet 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 AM7:21 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM6:52 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:22 PM9h 59m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM5:03 PM9h 17m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:38 AM8:08 AM4:48 PM8h 40m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:53 AM8:23 AM4:45 PM8h 22m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:00 AM8:30 AM4:54 PM8h 24m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:55 AM8:25 AM5:10 PM8h 45m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM5:36 PM9h 27m

Computed for 48.251, -99.882 (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
Bakken WPA272.1 mi NEBenson County
Lacher Lake WPA4.22.6 mi EBenson County
Reno Valley WPA792.7 mi WPierce County
Meyer WPA3603.8 mi NPierce County
Bluestem WPA804.0 mi SPierce County
Pfiefer WPA264.1 mi NEBenson County
Iowa Lake WPA164.3 mi SEBenson County
Long Lake WPA584.5 mi EBenson County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Alice NWR

Ramsey County, ND · 36 mi E

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

12.1K huntable acres

J. Clark Salyer NWR

McHenry County, ND · 44 mi NW

3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🐇🎣

58.9K huntable acres

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

Benson County, ND · 46 mi SE

1 closed
No hunting listed

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