Waterfowl Production Area · Sheridan County, North Dakota

Helm Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 158 acres, Helm Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Sheridan County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Audubon Wetland Management District as part of the Sheridan County Waterfowl Production Area of ND 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 Audubon WMD rules →
158GIS acres
160deeded acres
Sheridan Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Helm 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 Sheridan County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Helm 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 Helm WPA

Navigate

Destination: Helm Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.76400, -100.10693
DMS
47°45′50.4″N 100°06′24.9″W

Nearest towns

  • Rugby, ND42 mi S of town
  • Carrington, ND50 mi NW of town
  • Garrison, ND62 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl64 mi

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

Shooting hours at Helm WPA

Today at Helm 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, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM8:24 PM13h 27m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM7:55 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:07 AM7:37 AM7:22 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:27 AM7:57 AM6:54 PM10h 57m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:24 PM10h 01m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM5:05 PM9h 20m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:37 AM8:07 AM4:51 PM8h 44m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:52 AM8:22 AM4:48 PM8h 27m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:59 AM8:29 AM4:57 PM8h 28m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:54 AM8:24 AM5:13 PM8h 49m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM5:38 PM9h 30m

Computed for 47.764, -100.107 (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
Johnson Lake WPA1,0580.7 mi SESheridan County
Hillstrom WPA1591.3 mi ESheridan County
Johnson Lake WPA1581.9 mi EWells County
Marzolf WPA3112.3 mi EWells County
Schmeets WPA1223.7 mi WSheridan County
Pony Gulch WPA2404.8 mi SEWells County
Stotz WPA1045.2 mi NWSheridan County
Martin WPA405.2 mi NWSheridan County

Closest refuges & districts

Florence Lake NWR

Burleigh County, ND · 34 mi S

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

1.6K huntable acres

Lake Nettie NWR

McLean County, ND · 43 mi W

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

2.1K huntable acres

Audubon NWR

McLean County, ND · 51 mi W

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

3.2K huntable acres

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