Waterfowl Production Area · McCook County, South Dakota

Heckenliable Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 76 acres, Heckenliable Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in McCook County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Madison Wetland Management District as part of the McCook 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 →
76GIS acres
76deeded acres
McCook Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Heckenliable WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

Loading interactive map…
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 McCook County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Heckenliable 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 Heckenliable WPA

Navigate

Destination: Heckenliable Waterfowl Production Area

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
43.59052, -97.47078
DMS
43°35′25.9″N 97°28′14.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Mitchell, SD29 mi E of town
  • Madison, SD34 mi SW of town
  • Sioux Falls, SD37 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional37 mi

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

Shooting hours at Heckenliable WPA

Today at Heckenliable 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, 20266:22 AM6:52 AM8:07 PM13h 15m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM7:42 PM12h 35m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:55 AM7:25 AM7:13 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM6:48 PM11h 06m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM5:22 PM10h 18m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:53 AM7:23 AM5:06 PM9h 43m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM4:55 PM9h 13m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:25 AM7:55 AM4:53 PM8h 58m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:32 AM8:02 AM5:02 PM8h 60m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:16 PM9h 17m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:17 AM7:47 AM5:38 PM9h 52m

Computed for 43.591, -97.471 (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
Hyde WPA3210.8 mi NEMcCook County
Lions Lake WPA1843.1 mi NWMcCook County
Anderson WPA204.3 mi EMcCook County
Krier WPA864.9 mi SEMcCook County
Herting WPA605.2 mi NMcCook County
Gottlob WPA965.4 mi NMcCook County
Urell WPA605.8 mi NWMcCook County
Janssen WPA2396.2 mi NWMcCook County

Closest refuges & districts

Madison WMD

Lake County, SD · 33 mi NE

1 open1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44K huntable acres

Lake Andes NWR

Charles Mix County, SD · 55 mi SW

1 open3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

2.2K huntable acres

Lake Andes WMD

Charles Mix County, SD · 57 mi SW

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.1K huntable acres

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