Waterfowl Production Area · Richland County, North Dakota

Nechas Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Nechas Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 237 acres located 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.

237GIS acres
120deeded acres
Richland Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Nechas 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 Nechas 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 Nechas WPA

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Destination: Nechas Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
45.96668, -97.10780
DMS
45°58′00.0″N 97°06′28.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Wahpeton, ND32 mi SW of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN54 mi SW of town
  • Morris, MN63 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl67 mi

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

Shooting hours at Nechas WPA

Today at Nechas 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, 20266:18 AM6:48 AM8:09 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:42 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:55 AM7:25 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, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:58 PM9h 31m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:46 PM8h 57m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:43 PM8h 41m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:52 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:07 PM9h 01m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:21 AM7:51 AM5:31 PM9h 40m

Computed for 45.967, -97.108 (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
Heger WPA5.60.4 mi NERichland County
Podhola WPA4341.2 mi SERichland County
Gaukler WPA1631.7 mi SERichland County
Krause WPA1632.8 mi SERichland County
Ahrens WPA613.3 mi SERichland County
Leack WPA513.4 mi NRichland County
Arndt WPA503.8 mi SERoberts County
Wollitz WPA5114.1 mi WRichland County

Closest refuges & districts

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 13 mi W

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

Tewaukon NWR

Sargent County, ND · 14 mi W

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

6.9K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 39 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.