Waterfowl Production Area · McPherson County, South Dakota

Mettler Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Mettler Waterfowl Production Area is a public parcel of roughly 160 acres located 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.

160GIS acres
160deeded acres
McPherson Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Mettler 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 Mettler 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 Mettler WPA

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Destination: Mettler Waterfowl Production Area

Decimal
45.87930, -99.41253
DMS
45°52′45.5″N 99°24′45.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD53 mi NW of town
  • Mobridge, SD54 mi NE of town
  • Jamestown, ND79 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional56 mi

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

Shooting hours at Mettler WPA

Today at Mettler 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, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM8:18 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:51 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:04 AM7:34 AM7:20 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:22 AM7:52 AM6:53 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM5:25 PM10h 09m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:06 AM7:36 AM5:08 PM9h 31m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:28 AM7:58 AM4:55 PM8h 58m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:41 AM8:11 AM4:53 PM8h 41m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:48 AM8:18 AM5:02 PM8h 43m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:45 AM8:15 AM5:17 PM9h 02m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:30 AM8:00 AM5:40 PM9h 40m

Computed for 45.879, -99.413 (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
Helfenstein-Opp WPA6814.2 mi SMcPherson County
Jenner WPA3114.6 mi NMcIntosh County
Bergdorf WPA1,0876.3 mi NEMcPherson County
Ulmer WPA506.3 mi NMcIntosh County
Neuharth WPA806.6 mi SMcPherson County
10/45 WPA1607.2 mi SMcPherson County
Long Lake WPA5147.8 mi EMcPherson County
Stuglemayer WPA1088.0 mi NEMcPherson County

Closest refuges & districts

Kulm WMD

LaMoure County, ND · 37 mi NE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

45.1K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 55 mi E

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 57 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.