Waterfowl Production Area · McPherson County, South Dakota

Dockter Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 240 acres, Dockter Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in McPherson County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Sand Lake Wetland Management District as part of the McPherson 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.

240GIS acres
240deeded acres
McPherson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Dockter 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 McPherson County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Dockter 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 Dockter WPA

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Destination: Dockter Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
45.91477, -99.02299
DMS
45°54′53.2″N 99°01′22.8″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD41 mi NW of town
  • Jamestown, ND70 mi S of town
  • Mobridge, SD73 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional43 mi

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

Shooting hours at Dockter WPA

Today at Dockter 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 AM8:17 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM7:50 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM7:18 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:21 AM7:51 AM6:52 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM5:24 PM10h 09m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM5:06 PM9h 31m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM4:54 PM8h 57m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:40 AM8:10 AM4:51 PM8h 41m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:47 AM8:17 AM5:00 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:43 AM8:13 AM5:15 PM9h 02m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:39 PM9h 40m

Computed for 45.915, -99.023 (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
Wacker WPA2003.1 mi SMcPherson County
Kappes WPA2123.2 mi NWMcIntosh County
Ehresman WPA3253.4 mi WMcPherson County
Feickert WPA3653.5 mi SMcPherson County
Rau Lake WPA3314.0 mi WMcPherson County
Heinrich WPA894.2 mi NMcIntosh County
Rau WPA804.3 mi WMcPherson County
Shafer-Shafer Hoffman WPA6524.8 mi SWMcPherson County

Closest refuges & districts

Kulm WMD

LaMoure County, ND · 27 mi N

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

45.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 37 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 39 mi E

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

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