Where to Hunt

Public waterfowl hunting land falls into three main categories: state Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), federal Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), and National Wildlife Refuges with designated hunt zones.

The regular season and spring conservation order dates for snow, blue, and Ross's (light) geese in Missouri follow schedules set by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

GPS-collar research indicates that mature whitetail bucks travel 2 to 5 miles per day during the peak rut. During this stage, they leave their home range to find does. Pre-rut movement is usually shorter, about 1 mile within their summer range.

Walk-in hunting programs provide hunters with access to privately owned land. In these programs, landowners agree to allow public hunting access on their property in exchange for state compensation for access that would otherwise require landowner permission.

Rainfall decides how much water you’ll find on Oklahoma’s public marshes, which makes a current water report as useful as a map. To find public waterfowl hunting land in Oklahoma, start with the wetland development units (WDUs) on Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) wildlife management areas (WMAs).

Crowded boat ramps, a noon shooting cutoff, and flooded timber define public duck hunting in Arkansas. To find public waterfowl hunting land in Arkansas, start with the wildlife management areas (WMAs) run by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC).

Georgia gives duck hunters a short season and a long lead time, so the planning for public water starts months before the first cold front. If you want to find public waterfowl hunting land in Georgia, the Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area south of Darien is the place to focus.

Topographic maps indicate changes in elevation using contour lines. When the contour lines are close together, the terrain is steeper. When the contour lines are spaced farther apart, the terrain has a gentle slope, showing gradual elevation changes.

HuntWise vs GoHunt isn’t a head-to-head fight because each app handles a different stage of the Western hunting process.

Ohio's ring-necked pheasant hunting season runs from Friday, November 6, 2026, through Sunday, January 10, 2027. With a rigid stocking program and dedication to public land access, Ohio is coming into its own as a pheasant hunting state.

To find public waterfowl hunting land in Illinois, start with the State Fish and Wildlife Areas (SFWAs) that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) manages along the Illinois River, and plan to enter a lottery. Rice Lake SFWA, in Fulton County near Banner, covers 5,660 acres, and IDNR lists about 2,500 acres as huntable.

HuntWise fits you better if you want daily hunt prediction and stand-by-stand wind planning, while HuntStand costs less if property lines and mapping are your main priority. Both apps are built for whitetail hunters, and both cover mapping, weather, and stand management.