Waterfowl Production Area · Day County, South Dakota

Hendrickson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 40 acres, Hendrickson Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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.

Navigate here Satellite map Waubay WMD rules →
40GIS acres
40deeded acres
Day Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Hendrickson 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 Day County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Hendrickson 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 Hendrickson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Hendrickson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.48033, -97.60009
DMS
45°28′49.2″N 97°36′00.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD43 mi E of town
  • Watertown, SD46 mi NW of town
  • Wahpeton, ND72 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional40 mi

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

Shooting hours at Hendrickson WPA

Today at Hendrickson 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 AM5:01 PM9h 33m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:49 PM9h 00m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:47 PM8h 45m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:56 PM8h 46m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:11 PM9h 04m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM5:34 PM9h 42m

Computed for 45.480, -97.600 (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
E. Hanson WPA5971.0 mi EDay County
Fishbeck WPA792.8 mi NEDay County
Augustana WPA6433.2 mi NDay County
Lardy WPA8413.5 mi EDay County
Lynn Lake WPA813.8 mi SWDay County
North Taylor WPA1793.8 mi EDay County
South Taylor WPA1604.0 mi SEDay County
Holden WPA814.3 mi SDay County

Closest refuges & districts

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 13 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 14 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 37 mi NW

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

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