Facility Activities

A great place to start your visit is our Headquarters Visitors Center. Displays and exhibits focus on the wildlife and history of the refuge. Refuge staff can answer questions to make your visit safe and more enjoyable.

Waubay WMD is very popular with local pheasant and deer hunters, but many overlook the many waterfowl opportunities found here. About 200 waterfowl production areas (WPAs) provide 40,000 acres of public hunting in six counties located in the northeast corner of South Dakota. White-tailed deer...

Fishing opportunities vary widely by unit and season. Most units have no fisheries, but during high water periods, good fishing for walleye, perch and northern pike may occur on a handful of tracts.

In addition to the conservation of wildlife and their habitats, the Refuge System and WPAs...

If you enjoy getting outdoors and looking for wildlife, consider a visit to your nearest Waterfowl Production Area! Spring (mid-April – May) and fall (Sep-Oct) migration are the peak times to observe large varieties and concentrations of birds. WPAs offer birders opportunities to see many...

Perhaps the fastest growing activity on National Wildlife Refuges in the past ten years has been wildlife photography.  That’s not surprising – the growth in digital cameras and cell phones with ever-improving picture-taking abilities are increasing the number of nature photographers at a...

National Wildlife Refuges serve many purposes, and one of our most important roles is as outdoor classrooms to teach about wildlife and natural resources. Waterfowl Production Areas provide unique and exciting outdoor environments – excellent locations for hands-on learning activities.  ...

Trapping is a wildlife management tool used on some national wildlife refuges. Trapping may be used to protect endangered and threatened species or migratory birds or to control certain wildlife populations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also views trapping as a legitimate recreational and...