Waterfowl Production Area · Traill County, North Dakota

Elken Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Elken Waterfowl Production Area is a 169-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Traill County, North Dakota. It is managed by the Valley City Wetland Management District as part of the Traill 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 Valley City WMD rules →
169GIS acres
172deeded acres
Traill Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Elken 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 Traill County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Elken 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 Elken WPA

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Destination: Elken Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
47.37169, -97.44785
DMS
47°22′18.1″N 97°26′52.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Valley City, ND41 mi NE of town
  • Grand Forks, ND43 mi SW of town
  • Fargo, ND46 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • GFK Grand Forks Intl42 mi

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

Shooting hours at Elken WPA

Today at Elken 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, 20266:17 AM6:47 AM8:12 PM13h 26m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:44 PM12h 39m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM7:11 PM11h 45m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:16 AM7:46 AM6:44 PM10h 58m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM5:14 PM10h 03m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM4:55 PM9h 23m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:25 AM7:55 AM4:42 PM8h 47m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:39 AM8:09 AM4:39 PM8h 30m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:46 AM8:16 AM4:48 PM8h 32m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:42 AM8:12 AM5:04 PM8h 51m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:26 AM7:56 AM5:29 PM9h 32m

Computed for 47.372, -97.448 (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
Thompson WPA2751.3 mi NWTraill County
Erickson WPA1922.3 mi STraill County
Thorson WPA326.2 mi SWSteele County
Fuller's Lake WPA1,1297.4 mi SWSteele County
Groven WPA808.5 mi STraill County
Salander WPA3029.9 mi WSteele County
Rogers WPA34011 mi SWSteele County
Wigen WPA8015 mi NWSteele County

Closest refuges & districts

Valley City WMD

Barnes County, ND · 39 mi SW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

19.7K huntable acres

Valley City NFH

Barnes County, ND · 39 mi SW

1 closed
🎣

Kellys Slough NWR

Grand Forks County, ND · 42 mi N

1 closed
No hunting listed

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