Waterfowl Production Area · Day County, South Dakota

Meuer-Orness Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 319 acres, Meuer-Orness 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 →
319GIS acres
318deeded acres
Day Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Meuer-Orness 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 Meuer-Orness 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 Meuer-Orness WPA

Navigate

Destination: Meuer-Orness Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.40259, -97.70221
DMS
45°24′09.3″N 97°42′08.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD38 mi E of town
  • Watertown, SD45 mi NW of town
  • Huron, SD76 mi N of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional35 mi

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

Shooting hours at Meuer-Orness WPA

Today at Meuer-Orness 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, 20266:21 AM6:51 AM8:11 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM7:44 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM7:13 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM6:47 PM11h 02m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM5:20 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, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:48 PM8h 45m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM4:57 PM8h 47m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:36 AM8:06 AM5:11 PM9h 05m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:22 AM7:52 AM5:35 PM9h 43m

Computed for 45.403, -97.702 (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
McKane WPA802.5 mi SWDay County
Lynn Lake WPA813.6 mi NEDay County
Holden WPA813.9 mi EDay County
Bailly WPA374.5 mi EDay County
Hansen-Johnson WPA1245.6 mi EDay County
Akerson WPA1475.7 mi SEDay County
Peterson WPA286.0 mi SEDay County
Lundeen WPA1506.3 mi SWDay County

Closest refuges & districts

Waubay NWR

Day County, SD · 18 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 18 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 37 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.