Waterfowl Production Area · Buffalo County, South Dakota

Mills Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Mills Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 919 acres located in Buffalo County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Huron Wetland Management District as part of the Buffalo 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 →
919GIS acres
917deeded acres
Buffalo Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Mills 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 Buffalo County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Mills 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 Mills WPA

Navigate

Destination: Mills Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.19082, -99.12177
DMS
44°11′27.0″N 99°07′18.4″W

Nearest towns

  • Huron, SD47 mi W of town
  • Pierre, SD62 mi E of town
  • Mitchell, SD64 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • PIR Pierre Regional59 mi

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

Shooting hours at Mills WPA

Today at Mills 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, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM8:15 PM13h 17m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:49 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM7:19 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM6:54 PM11h 05m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM5:28 PM10h 16m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM5:11 PM9h 40m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM5:00 PM9h 09m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:34 AM8:04 AM4:58 PM8h 54m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:41 AM8:11 AM5:07 PM8h 55m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM5:21 PM9h 13m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:25 AM7:55 AM5:44 PM9h 49m

Computed for 44.191, -99.122 (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
Carlsen WPA407.3 mi NEHand County
Winter WPA24012 mi EJerauld County
Spring Lake WPA62013 mi NEHand County
Millerdale WPA44314 mi NHand County
Cahalan WPA35716 mi NEHand County
Fischer WPA4717 mi EHand County
Campbell WPA48118 mi NEHand County
Johnson WPA1918 mi NEHand County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 46 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 77 mi SE

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD · 78 mi SE

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

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