Waterfowl Production Area · Spink County, South Dakota

Hahler-Carda Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Hahler-Carda Waterfowl Production Area is a 105-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Spink County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Sand Lake Wetland Management District as part of the Spink 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 Sand Lake WMD rules →
105GIS acres
106deeded acres
Spink Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Hahler-Carda 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 Spink County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Hahler-Carda 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 Hahler-Carda WPA

Navigate

Destination: Hahler-Carda Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
45.18873, -98.68475
DMS
45°11′19.4″N 98°41′05.1″W

Nearest towns

  • Aberdeen, SD21 mi SW of town
  • Huron, SD62 mi N of town
  • Watertown, SD79 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • ABR Aberdeen Regional22 mi

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

Shooting hours at Hahler-Carda WPA

Today at Hahler-Carda 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 AM8:14 PM13h 20m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:41 AM7:11 AM7:48 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM7:17 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:18 AM7:48 AM6:51 PM11h 03m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM5:24 PM10h 12m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM5:07 PM9h 35m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:22 AM7:52 AM4:55 PM9h 02m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:36 AM8:06 AM4:53 PM8h 47m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:43 AM8:13 AM5:01 PM8h 48m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:40 AM8:10 AM5:16 PM9h 06m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:25 AM7:55 AM5:39 PM9h 44m

Computed for 45.189, -98.685 (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
Boekelheide West WPA1382.8 mi SSpink County
Boekelheide N. East WPA952.9 mi SSpink County
S. Scatterwood Lake WPA3033.4 mi NWFaulk County
Voight WPA473.7 mi NWFaulk County
Bacon WPA343.8 mi SESpink County
Stroschein WPA1155.3 mi NESpink County
Mansfield Slough WPA7346.6 mi ESpink County
North Scatterwood Lake WPA1616.9 mi NWEdmunds County

Closest refuges & districts

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 41 mi NE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 46 mi NE

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 62 mi S

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

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