Waterfowl Production Area · Sargent County, North Dakota

Gainor Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Gainor Waterfowl Production Area is a 842-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Sargent County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Tewaukon Wetland Management District as part of the Sargent 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 →
842GIS acres
845deeded acres
Sargent Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Gainor 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 Sargent County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Gainor 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 Gainor WPA

Navigate

Destination: Gainor Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
46.23280, -97.38961
DMS
46°13′58.1″N 97°23′22.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Wahpeton, ND37 mi W of town
  • Moorhead, MN53 mi SW of town
  • Fargo, ND53 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • FAR Fargo Hector Intl55 mi

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

Shooting hours at Gainor WPA

Today at Gainor 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 AM8:11 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM7:43 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM7:11 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:14 AM7:44 AM6:45 PM11h 00m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM5:17 PM10h 08m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:59 AM7:29 AM4:58 PM9h 29m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM4:46 PM8h 55m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:35 AM8:05 AM4:44 PM8h 39m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:42 AM8:12 AM4:52 PM8h 41m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM5:07 PM8h 59m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:23 AM7:53 AM5:31 PM9h 38m

Computed for 46.233, -97.390 (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
Metzer WPA525.6 mi NWRansom County
Asche WPA1597.7 mi SWSargent County
Wyum WPA808.2 mi SSargent County
Mahrer WPA1198.3 mi SWSargent County
Carlson WPA4411 mi NWRansom County
Lundstad WPA5313 mi SWSargent County
Nickeson WPA9415 mi SSargent County
Krause WPA21315 mi SSargent County

Closest refuges & districts

Tewaukon NWR

Sargent County, ND · 16 mi S

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

6.9K huntable acres

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 16 mi S

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 51 mi SW

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

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