Waterfowl Production Area · Hutchinson County, South Dakota

Mayer Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Mayer Waterfowl Production Area is a 158-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Hutchinson County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Madison Wetland Management District as part of the Hutchinson 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 Madison WMD rules →
158GIS acres
160deeded acres
Hutchinson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Mayer 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 Hutchinson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Mayer 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 Mayer WPA

Navigate

Destination: Mayer Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
43.39680, -97.65370
DMS
43°23′48.5″N 97°39′13.3″W

Nearest towns

  • Mitchell, SD29 mi SE of town
  • Sioux Falls, SD47 mi W of town
  • Lake Andes, SD47 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional48 mi

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

Shooting hours at Mayer WPA

Today at Mayer 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, 20266:23 AM6:53 AM8:08 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM7:43 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:56 AM7:26 AM7:13 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM6:49 PM11h 07m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM5:23 PM10h 19m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:07 PM9h 44m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:56 PM9h 14m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:25 AM7:55 AM4:55 PM8h 59m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:33 AM8:03 AM5:03 PM9h 01m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:18 PM9h 18m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:17 AM7:47 AM5:40 PM9h 53m

Computed for 43.397, -97.654 (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
Ziebart WPA6713 mi WHutchinson County
Henke WPA15014 mi SWHutchinson County
Roth WPA24915 mi SWHutchinson County
Krier WPA8615 mi NEMcCook County
Heckenliable WPA7616 mi NEMcCook County
Hyde WPA32117 mi NEMcCook County
Kurtenbach WPA7117 mi NWDavison County
Kayser WPA2218 mi NWHanson County

Closest refuges & districts

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 41 mi W

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD · 43 mi W

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 49 mi NE

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

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