Waterfowl Production Area · Hand County, South Dakota

McGillvrey Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 38 acres, McGillvrey Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Hand County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Huron Wetland Management District as part of the Hand 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 →
38GIS acres
40deeded acres
Hand Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

McGillvrey 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 Hand County:KMLGPX

Hunting on McGillvrey 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 McGillvrey WPA

Navigate

Destination: McGillvrey Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.30251, -98.78064
DMS
44°18′09.0″N 98°46′50.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Huron, SD28 mi W of town
  • Mitchell, SD55 mi NW of town
  • Pierre, SD78 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • PIR Pierre Regional75 mi

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

Shooting hours at McGillvrey WPA

Today at McGillvrey 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, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM8:14 PM13h 17m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM7:48 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM7:18 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM6:53 PM11h 05m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:40 AM7:10 AM5:26 PM10h 16m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM5:09 PM9h 40m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:20 AM7:50 AM4:58 PM9h 08m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:33 AM8:03 AM4:56 PM8h 53m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM5:05 PM8h 55m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:37 AM8:07 AM5:19 PM9h 12m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:24 AM7:54 AM5:42 PM9h 48m

Computed for 44.303, -98.781 (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
Johnson WPA190.7 mi SWHand County
Fischer WPA472.3 mi SHand County
Boomsma WPA2014.1 mi SHand County
Spring Lake WPA6205.7 mi SWHand County
Campbell WPA4816.8 mi NWHand County
Cahalan WPA3578.3 mi NWHand County
Long Lake WPA999.1 mi SJerauld County
Winter WPA2409.4 mi SWJerauld County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 28 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 78 mi S

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD · 80 mi S

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

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