Waterfowl Production Area · Sully County, South Dakota

Ficher-Nelson Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Ficher-Nelson Waterfowl Production Area is a 266-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Sully County, South Dakota. It is managed by the Huron Wetland Management District as part of the Sully 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 Huron WMD rules →
266GIS acres
266deeded acres
Sully Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Ficher-Nelson 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 Sully County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Ficher-Nelson 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 Ficher-Nelson WPA

Navigate

Destination: Ficher-Nelson Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
44.86916, -99.78250
DMS
44°52′09.0″N 99°46′57.0″W

Nearest towns

  • Pierre, SD44 mi NE of town
  • Mobridge, SD56 mi SE of town
  • Aberdeen, SD75 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • PIR Pierre Regional42 mi

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

Shooting hours at Ficher-Nelson WPA

Today at Ficher-Nelson 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, 20266:30 AM7:00 AM8:18 PM13h 19m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM7:52 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM7:21 PM11h 47m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:22 AM7:52 AM6:56 PM11h 03m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:46 AM7:16 AM5:29 PM10h 13m
Sun, Nov 15, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM5:12 PM9h 37m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:26 AM7:56 AM5:00 PM9h 04m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:39 AM8:09 AM4:58 PM8h 49m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:46 AM8:16 AM5:07 PM8h 51m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:43 AM8:13 AM5:21 PM9h 08m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:45 PM9h 46m

Computed for 44.869, -99.782 (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
Koehn WPA4920 mi NPotter County
Penrod Hotmon WPA60521 mi NPotter County
VenJohn WPA47325 mi EHand County
Stephan WPA16126 mi NEFaulk County
Trechler WPA29127 mi EHand County
Simon-Schmidt WPA42927 mi NEdmunds County
Lane WPA34128 mi NEFaulk County
Lassle-Biffert WPA34528 mi NEdmunds County

Closest refuges & districts

Huron WMD

Beadle County, SD · 85 mi SE

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

17.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake WMD

Brown County, SD · 93 mi NE

1 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

44.5K huntable acres

Sand Lake NWR

Brown County, SD · 98 mi NE

2 special1 closed
🦌🐦🎣

19.5K huntable acres

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