Waterfowl Production Area · Faulk County, South Dakota

Zens Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 83 acres, Zens Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Faulk County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Sand Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Faulk 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.

83GIS acres
84deeded acres
Faulk Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Zens 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 Faulk County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Zens 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 Zens WPA

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Destination: Zens Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
44.97754, -98.74301
DMS
44°58′39.1″N 98°44′34.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD36 mi S of town
  • Huron, SD50 mi NW of town
  • Watertown, SD80 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional36 mi

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

Shooting hours at Zens WPA

Today at Zens 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, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM8:14 PM13h 19m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM7:48 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM7:17 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM6:52 PM11h 03m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM5:25 PM10h 13m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM5:07 PM9h 36m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:22 AM7:52 AM4:56 PM9h 04m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:35 AM8:05 AM4:54 PM8h 48m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:42 AM8:12 AM5:02 PM8h 50m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:39 AM8:09 AM5:17 PM9h 08m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:25 AM7:55 AM5:40 PM9h 45m

Computed for 44.978, -98.743 (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
Zell Lake WPA3083.0 mi SWFaulk County
Buss WPA466.4 mi SWFaulk County
Einspahr WPA1596.4 mi ESpink County
Mullenberg WPA807.9 mi SHand County
Becker WPA1239.0 mi SESpink County
Christianson WPA6719.2 mi WFaulk County
Lingemann WPA15910 mi SHand County
Bacon WPA3412 mi NSpink County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 50 mi SE

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 56 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 61 mi NE

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

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