Waterfowl Production Area · Ransom County, North Dakota

Carlson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 44 acres, Carlson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Ransom County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Tewaukon Wetland Management District as part of the Ransom 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 Tewaukon WMD rules →
44GIS acres
44deeded acres
Ransom Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Carlson WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

Loading interactive map…
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 Ransom County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Carlson 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 Carlson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Carlson Waterfowl Production Area

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
46.30649, -97.59901
DMS
46°18′23.4″N 97°35′56.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Valley City, ND46 mi SE of town
  • Wahpeton, ND47 mi W of town
  • Fargo, ND55 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl56 mi

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

Shooting hours at Carlson WPA

Today at Carlson 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, 20266:19 AM6:49 AM8:12 PM13h 23m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM7:44 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM7:12 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM6:46 PM11h 00m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM5:17 PM10h 08m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM4:59 PM9h 29m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:22 AM7:52 AM4:46 PM8h 55m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:36 AM8:06 AM4:44 PM8h 38m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:43 AM8:13 AM4:53 PM8h 40m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM5:08 PM8h 59m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:24 AM7:54 AM5:32 PM9h 38m

Computed for 46.306, -97.599 (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
Metzer WPA526.1 mi ERansom County
Asche WPA1599.7 mi SSargent County
Gainor WPA84211 mi SESargent County
Mahrer WPA11912 mi SSargent County
Lone Goose WPA3213 mi WRansom County
Lundstad WPA5314 mi SSargent County
Litchfield WPA16115 mi SWSargent County
Wyum WPA8015 mi SESargent County

Closest refuges & districts

Tewaukon NWR

Sargent County, ND · 23 mi SE

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

6.9K huntable acres

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 24 mi SE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 47 mi SW

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

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