Waterfowl Production Area · Sargent County, North Dakota

Palensky Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 608 acres, Palensky Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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 →
608GIS acres
610deeded acres
Sargent Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Palensky 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 Palensky 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 Palensky WPA

Navigate

Destination: Palensky Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
46.27566, -97.94717
DMS
46°16′32.4″N 97°56′49.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Valley City, ND45 mi S of town
  • Jamestown, ND57 mi SE of town
  • Aberdeen, SD62 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional61 mi

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

Shooting hours at Palensky WPA

Today at Palensky 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, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM8:13 PM13h 22m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM7:45 PM12h 38m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM7:14 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM6:47 PM11h 00m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM5:19 PM10h 08m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM5:01 PM9h 29m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM4:48 PM8h 55m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:37 AM8:07 AM4:46 PM8h 38m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:44 AM8:14 AM4:54 PM8h 40m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM5:09 PM8h 59m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:25 AM7:55 AM5:34 PM9h 38m

Computed for 46.276, -97.947 (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
Magill WPA3253.3 mi NWRansom County
Lone Goose WPA324.1 mi NERansom County
Smith WPA6556.4 mi NRansom County
Litchfield WPA1617.2 mi SESargent County
Weaver WPA757.3 mi NRansom County
Bauer WPA3257.4 mi SESargent County
Raatz WPA207.5 mi WLaMoure County
Schiffner WPA3287.6 mi NRansom County

Closest refuges & districts

Tewaukon NWR

Sargent County, ND · 33 mi SE

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

6.9K huntable acres

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 33 mi SE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 37 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.