Waterfowl Production Area · Day County, South Dakota

Hansen-Johnson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Hansen-Johnson Waterfowl Production Area is a 124-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Day County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Waubay Wetland Management District as part of the Day 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.

124GIS acres
124deeded acres
Day Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Hansen-Johnson WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

Loading interactive map…
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 Day County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Hansen-Johnson 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 Hansen-Johnson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Hansen-Johnson Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
45.38619, -97.58888
DMS
45°23′10.3″N 97°35′20.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Watertown, SD41 mi NW of town
  • Aberdeen, SD44 mi E of town
  • Wahpeton, ND77 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional41 mi

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

Shooting hours at Hansen-Johnson WPA

Today at Hansen-Johnson 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, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM8:10 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM7:44 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM7:13 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:14 AM7:44 AM6:47 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM5:19 PM10h 11m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:58 AM7:28 AM5:02 PM9h 34m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:50 PM9h 01m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:32 AM8:02 AM4:48 PM8h 45m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM4:56 PM8h 47m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:11 PM9h 05m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM5:34 PM9h 43m

Computed for 45.386, -97.589 (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
Peterson WPA281.7 mi SDay County
Bailly WPA372.0 mi NWDay County
Holden WPA813.0 mi NWDay County
Akerson WPA1473.2 mi SWDay County
Hawkinson WPA413.8 mi EDay County
Rumpca WPA984.3 mi EDay County
South Taylor WPA1604.4 mi NEDay County
Hilt WPA624.6 mi SEDay County

Closest refuges & districts

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 13 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 13 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 42 mi NW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

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