Waterfowl Production Area · Beadle County, South Dakota

Bauer Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Bauer Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 795 acres located in Beadle County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Huron Wetland Management District as part of the Beadle 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 Huron WMD rules →
795GIS acres
800deeded acres
Beadle Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Bauer 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 Beadle County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Bauer 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 Bauer WPA

Navigate

Destination: Bauer Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.38319, -97.94378
DMS
44°22′59.5″N 97°56′37.6″W

Nearest towns

  • Huron, SD13 mi E of town
  • Mitchell, SD47 mi N of town
  • Madison, SD49 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional77 mi

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

Shooting hours at Bauer WPA

Today at Bauer 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 AM8:10 PM13h 17m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM7:44 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM7:14 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM6:49 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM5:23 PM10h 15m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM5:06 PM9h 39m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:17 AM7:47 AM4:54 PM9h 08m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:30 AM8:00 AM4:53 PM8h 53m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:01 PM8h 54m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:34 AM8:04 AM5:16 PM9h 12m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:38 PM9h 48m

Computed for 44.383, -97.944 (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
LeClaire WPA52210 mi NBeadle County
Ingle WPA61811 mi SWBeadle County
Glanzer WPA19012 mi NBeadle County
Reed WPA5113 mi SBeadle County
Reed WPA4214 mi SMiner County
Cain Creek WPA24217 mi SWBeadle County
Wipf WPA16917 mi NWBeadle County
Mud Lake WPA11817 mi NWBeadle County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 14 mi W

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 52 mi SE

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 78 mi N

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

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