Waterfowl Production Area · Aurora County, South Dakota

Foster Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

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

Foster 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 Aurora County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Foster WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under South 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 Foster WPA

Navigate

Destination: Foster Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.57518, -98.70931
DMS
43°34′30.6″N 98°42′33.5″W

Nearest towns

  • Lake Andes, SD30 mi N of town
  • Mitchell, SD35 mi W of town
  • Huron, SD60 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • PIR Pierre Regional96 mi

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

Shooting hours at Foster WPA

Today at Foster 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 AM8:12 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM7:47 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM7:18 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM6:53 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM5:27 PM10h 18m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM5:11 PM9h 43m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM5:00 PM9h 13m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM4:59 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:07 PM8h 60m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM5:21 PM9h 17m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM5:43 PM9h 52m

Computed for 43.575, -98.709 (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
Broken Arrow WPA9486.4 mi SCharles Mix County
Krell WPA1616.7 mi NEAurora County
Broken Arrow WPA1,6576.7 mi SDouglas County
Overweg WPA1377.7 mi NEAurora County
Van Zee WPA868.4 mi SDouglas County
Koss WPA7308.5 mi WBrule County
Crystal Lake WPA8018.6 mi NEAurora County
Koch WPA998.6 mi NEAurora County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 30 mi SE

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD · 31 mi SE

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

Karl E. Mundt NWR

Gregory County, SD · 38 mi S

1 special2 closed
🦌

697 huntable acres

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