Waterfowl Production Area · Richland County, North Dakota

Gunness Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 659 acres, Gunness Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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 →
659GIS acres
657deeded acres
Richland Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Gunness 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 Gunness 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 Gunness WPA

Navigate

Destination: Gunness Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
46.01312, -96.91368
DMS
46°00′47.2″N 96°54′49.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Wahpeton, ND23 mi SW of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN44 mi SW of town
  • Morris, MN56 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl63 mi

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

Shooting hours at Gunness WPA

Today at Gunness 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 AM8:08 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM7:41 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM7:10 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM6:43 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:15 PM10h 09m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:57 PM9h 30m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM4:45 PM8h 57m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:32 AM8:02 AM4:42 PM8h 40m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM4:51 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM5:06 PM9h 01m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM5:30 PM9h 40m

Computed for 46.013, -96.914 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

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Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Biggs WPA1,0862.5 mi SRichland County
Korth WPA473.5 mi SRichland County
Bladow WPA2524.7 mi NWRichland County
Hartleben WPA1,2125.5 mi NWRichland County
Prochnow WPA796.1 mi NWRichland County
Navratil WPA1206.2 mi SRoberts County
Kutter-Henke WPA1266.4 mi SWRoberts County
Aaser WPA3146.9 mi NWRichland County

Closest refuges & districts

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 22 mi W

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

Tewaukon NWR

Sargent County, ND · 23 mi W

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

6.9K huntable acres

Fergus Falls WMD

Otter Tail County, MN · 45 mi E

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

49.4K huntable acres

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