Sand Lake NWR
Brown County, SD · 12 mi W
!2 special✕1 closed
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19.5K huntable acres
Waterfowl Production Area · Brown County, South Dakota
Hayes Waterfowl Production Area
✓Public land (fee title)🥾Walk-in access
Hayes Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 319 acres located in Brown County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Sand Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Brown County Waterfowl Production Area of SD 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.
319GIS acres
319deeded acres
Brown Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi
Hayes 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 Hayes 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 Hayes WPA
Navigate
Destination: Hayes Waterfowl Production Area
- Decimal
45.84236, -98.00492- DMS
45°50′32.5″N 98°00′17.7″W
Nearest towns
- Aberdeen, SD35 mi NE of town
- Wahpeton, ND73 mi SW of town
- Valley City, ND74 mi S of town
Closest airports
- ABR Aberdeen Regional34 mi
Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.
Shooting hours at Hayes WPA
Today at Hayes 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 | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:13 PM | 13h 21m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 PM | 12h 37m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:14 PM | 11h 46m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:48 PM | 11h 01m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:20 PM | 10h 09m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:02 PM | 9h 31m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:50 PM | 8h 58m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:36 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:47 PM | 8h 42m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:43 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:56 PM | 8h 43m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:39 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:11 PM | 9h 02m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:35 PM | 9h 41m |
Computed for 45.842, -98.005 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thorpe WPA | 161 | 5.4 mi NW | Brown County |
| Hecla WPA | 1,110 | 7.2 mi NW | Brown County |
| Swanson WPA | 151 | 9.3 mi NW | Brown County |
| North Sand Lake WPA | 158 | 9.7 mi W | Brown County |
| Engle Dam WPA | 145 | 14 mi W | Brown County |
| Burkhardt WPA | 40 | 16 mi NW | Dickey County |
| Holmes WPA | 32 | 16 mi NW | Dickey County |
| West Holmes WPA | 24 | 17 mi NW | Dickey County |
Closest refuges & districts
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Brown County Waterfowl Production Area of SD. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.