Waterfowl Production Area · Richland County, North Dakota

Ford Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Ford Waterfowl Production Area is a 129-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Richland County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Tewaukon Wetland Management District as part of the Richland 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 →
129GIS acres
129deeded acres
Richland Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Ford 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 Richland County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Ford 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 Ford WPA

Navigate

Destination: Ford Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
46.06060, -97.06016
DMS
46°03′38.2″N 97°03′36.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Wahpeton, ND26 mi SW of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN49 mi W of town
  • Moorhead, MN58 mi S of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl60 mi

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

Shooting hours at Ford WPA

Today at Ford 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, 20266:17 AM6:47 AM8:09 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM7:42 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM7:10 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM6:44 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM5:16 PM10h 09m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM4:58 PM9h 30m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:45 PM8h 56m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:43 PM8h 40m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:52 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:07 PM9h 01m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM5:31 PM9h 39m

Computed for 46.061, -97.060 (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
Novetzke WPA602.5 mi WRichland County
Kuehn WPA3172.5 mi SWRichland County
Aaser WPA3142.8 mi NERichland County
Leack-Schuler WPA2372.9 mi SRichland County
Leack WPA513.5 mi SRichland County
Bladow WPA2523.6 mi ERichland County
Prochnow WPA793.8 mi NERichland County
Boehning WPA973.8 mi WRichland County

Closest refuges & districts

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 16 mi W

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

Tewaukon NWR

Sargent County, ND · 16 mi W

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

6.9K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 46 mi S

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

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