Waterfowl Production Area · Hyde County, South Dakota

Cowan Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Cowan Waterfowl Production Area is a 967-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Hyde County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Huron Wetland Management District as part of the Hyde 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 →
967GIS acres
960deeded acres
Hyde Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Cowan 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 Hyde County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Cowan 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 Cowan WPA

Navigate

Destination: Cowan Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.41830, -99.50473
DMS
44°25′05.9″N 99°30′17.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Pierre, SD42 mi E of town
  • Huron, SD64 mi W of town
  • Aberdeen, SD87 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • PIR Pierre Regional39 mi

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

Shooting hours at Cowan WPA

Today at Cowan 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, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM8:17 PM13h 18m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM7:51 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:04 AM7:34 AM7:20 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM6:55 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM5:29 PM10h 15m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:03 AM7:33 AM5:12 PM9h 39m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:23 AM7:53 AM5:00 PM9h 07m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:36 AM8:06 AM4:59 PM8h 52m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:43 AM8:13 AM5:07 PM8h 54m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM5:22 PM9h 11m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM5:45 PM9h 48m

Computed for 44.418, -99.505 (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
Harter WPA1,4171.4 mi SWHyde County
Millerdale WPA44317 mi EHand County
Robbins WPA13622 mi WHughes County
Mills WPA91925 mi SEBuffalo County
Carlsen WPA4027 mi SEHand County
Slunecka WPA48027 mi NEHand County
VenJohn WPA47329 mi NEHand County
Cahalan WPA35729 mi EHand County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 64 mi E

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 100 mi SE

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD · 101 mi SE

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

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