Huron WMD
Beadle County, SD · 13 mi NE
✓1 open✕1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣
17.5K huntable acres
Waterfowl Production Area · Beadle County, South Dakota
Ruppel Waterfowl Production Area
✓Public land (fee title)🥾Walk-in access
Ruppel Waterfowl Production Area is a 58-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat 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.
58GIS acres
58deeded acres
Beadle Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi
Ruppel 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
Hunting on Ruppel 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 Ruppel WPA
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Destination: Ruppel Waterfowl Production Area
- Decimal
44.23664, -98.41554- DMS
44°14′11.9″N 98°24′55.9″W
Nearest towns
- Huron, SD13 mi SW of town
- Mitchell, SD41 mi NW of town
- Madison, SD67 mi W of town
Closest airports
- ABR Aberdeen Regional84 mi
Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.
Shooting hours at Ruppel WPA
Today at Ruppel 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
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:12 PM | 13h 17m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 PM | 12h 35m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:16 PM | 11h 47m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:51 PM | 11h 05m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:25 PM | 10h 16m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:08 PM | 9h 40m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:57 PM | 9h 09m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:31 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:55 PM | 8h 54m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:38 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:04 PM | 8h 55m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:36 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:18 PM | 9h 13m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:41 PM | 9h 49m |
Computed for 44.237, -98.416 (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
| WPA | Acres | Distance | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schull WPA | 325 | 5.0 mi N | Beadle County |
| Clouser WPA | 346 | 5.6 mi N | Beadle County |
| Freudenburg WPA | 73 | 7.1 mi S | Jerauld County |
| South Weaver WPA | 142 | 8.3 mi N | Beadle County |
| Cain Creek WPA | 242 | 8.6 mi E | Beadle County |
| Weaver WPA | 646 | 9.2 mi N | Beadle County |
| Thesenvitz WPA | 164 | 9.3 mi N | Beadle County |
| Brandenburg WPA | 40 | 9.5 mi S | Jerauld County |
Closest refuges & districts
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Beadle County Waterfowl Production Area. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.