Waterfowl Production Area · Ward County, North Dakota

Peterson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Peterson Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 161 acres located in Ward County, North Dakota. It is managed by the J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management District as part of the Ward 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.

161GIS acres
160deeded acres
Ward Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Peterson 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 Ward County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Peterson 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 Peterson WPA

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Destination: Peterson Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
48.02650, -101.55002
DMS
48°01′35.4″N 101°33′00.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Minot, ND18 mi SW of town
  • Garrison, ND27 mi N of town
  • Kenmare, ND51 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • MOT Minot Intl20 mi

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

Shooting hours at Peterson WPA

Today at Peterson 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, 20266:32 AM7:02 AM8:30 PM13h 27m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM8:01 PM12h 40m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:13 AM7:43 AM7:27 PM11h 44m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM6:59 PM10h 56m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:59 AM7:29 AM5:29 PM10h 00m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM5:10 PM9h 19m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:44 AM8:14 AM4:56 PM8h 42m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:59 AM8:29 AM4:53 PM8h 24m
Fri, Jan 1, 20278:05 AM8:35 AM5:02 PM8h 26m
Fri, Jan 15, 20278:01 AM8:31 AM5:18 PM8h 47m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:45 AM8:15 AM5:43 PM9h 29m

Computed for 48.026, -101.550 (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
Road WPA1796.1 mi WWard County
Day WPA1617.1 mi SEWard County
Nelson WPA1487.3 mi SEWard County
West Muus WPA257.6 mi EWard County
Anna WPA408.0 mi WWard County
Field WPA1588.1 mi EWard County
East Muus WPA1598.1 mi EWard County
Brown WPA3208.2 mi SWWard County

Closest refuges & districts

Mclean NWR

McLean County, ND · 24 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇

342 huntable acres

Shell Lake NWR

Mountrail County, ND · 28 mi NW

1 closed
No hunting listed

Audubon WMD

McLean County, ND · 34 mi SE

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

26.2K huntable acres

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