Waterfowl Production Area · Roberts County, South Dakota

Harsted-Elton Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Covering about 45 acres, Harsted-Elton Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands in Roberts County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Waubay Wetland Management District as part of the Roberts 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 Waubay WMD rules →
45GIS acres
47deeded acres
Roberts Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Harsted-Elton 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 Roberts County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Harsted-Elton 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 Harsted-Elton WPA

Navigate

Destination: Harsted-Elton Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.79378, -96.99031
DMS
45°47′37.6″N 96°59′25.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Wahpeton, ND38 mi SW of town
  • Morris, MN54 mi W of town
  • Fergus Falls, MN55 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional73 mi

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

Shooting hours at Harsted-Elton WPA

Today at Harsted-Elton 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, 20266:17 AM6:47 AM8:08 PM13h 21m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM7:41 PM12h 37m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:54 AM7:24 AM7:10 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:12 AM7:42 AM6:44 PM11h 01m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM5:16 PM10h 10m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:57 AM7:27 AM4:58 PM9h 32m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM4:46 PM8h 58m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:31 AM8:01 AM4:44 PM8h 42m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:38 AM8:08 AM4:52 PM8h 44m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:35 AM8:05 AM5:07 PM9h 02m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:20 AM7:50 AM5:31 PM9h 41m

Computed for 45.794, -96.990 (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
Bostrom-Knebel WPA1111.3 mi NERoberts County
Rolstad WPA1302.0 mi SRoberts County
W Eggen WPA412.4 mi SERoberts County
Eggen E WPA1193.0 mi ERoberts County
Eneboe WPA353.3 mi SERoberts County
Hamm WPA1744.3 mi SERoberts County
Pederson WPA614.6 mi NWRoberts County
Broz WPA1304.9 mi NERoberts County

Closest refuges & districts

Tewaukon WMD

Sargent County, ND · 23 mi NW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

16K huntable acres

Tewaukon NWR

Sargent County, ND · 24 mi NW

3 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐦🐇🎣

6.9K huntable acres

Waubay WMD

Day County, SD · 30 mi SW

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

41.1K huntable acres

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