Waterfowl Production Area · Stutsman County, North Dakota

Drift Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Drift Waterfowl Production Area is a 320-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Stutsman County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Chase Lake Prairie Project Wetland Management District as part of the Stutsman 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 Chase Lake Prairie Project WMD rules →
320GIS acres
315deeded acres
Stutsman Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Drift 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 Stutsman County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Drift 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 Drift WPA

Navigate

Destination: Drift Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.26231, -98.82215
DMS
47°15′44.3″N 98°49′19.7″W

Nearest towns

  • Carrington, ND19 mi SE of town
  • Jamestown, ND25 mi N of town
  • Valley City, ND45 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl90 mi

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

Shooting hours at Drift WPA

Today at Drift 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, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM8:18 PM13h 25m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM7:50 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM7:17 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM6:49 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:47 AM7:17 AM5:20 PM10h 03m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:08 AM7:38 AM5:01 PM9h 23m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM4:48 PM8h 48m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:45 AM8:15 AM4:45 PM8h 31m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:51 AM8:21 AM4:54 PM8h 32m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:47 AM8:17 AM5:10 PM8h 52m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:31 AM8:01 AM5:34 PM9h 33m

Computed for 47.262, -98.822 (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
Bower WPA693.1 mi EStutsman County
Medicine Lake WPA1.14.9 mi SStutsman County
Florhaug WPA705.8 mi NFoster County
Siebert WPA2647.3 mi EStutsman County
Leobolt WPA497.4 mi WStutsman County
Walsh WPA2888.4 mi SEStutsman County
Horton WPA568.5 mi EStutsman County
Paulson WPA2529.1 mi SWStutsman County

Closest refuges & districts

Arrowwood WMD

Stutsman County, ND · 1.5 mi W

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

6.3K huntable acres

Arrowwood NWR

Stutsman County, ND · 6.7 mi S

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

12.7K huntable acres

Chase Lake Prairie Project WMD

Stutsman County, ND · 22 mi SW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

40K huntable acres

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