guides · Updated 2026-09-15

Non-Toxic Shot on Public Land

Lead #5 on Walk-In CRP is fine in many counties—until the next tract is a Game Production Area, a Waterfowl Production Area, or a posted wetland wildlife area. Non-toxic rules follow land type, not “pheasant season.” This page is the Midwest legal / land-type map. For shot-size ballistics (lead #5 vs steel #2/#3), see Best Shot Size for Pheasants—do not treat this page as a pattern-board substitute.

Quick compare (pheasant / upland / small game on public & walk-in)

Possession vs shooting only: South Dakota (listed areas), Minnesota (WPA/refuge and listed units), Kansas listed WA language, and federal wetland practice commonly ban having lead shells in the vest—not just chambering them. Empty lead boxes before you walk a GPA/WPA mosaic.

South Dakota — GPA/WPA yes; most Walk-In no

Per GFP General Hunting Laws — Non-toxic Shot:

• Required for all small game/waterfowl hunting on: State Game Production Areas, lake and fishing access areas, state park system areas, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Wildlife Production Areas managed by GFP, USFWS National Wildlife Refuges, and USFWS Waterfowl Production Areas. Lead shot may not be possessed while hunting waterfowl/small game on these areas.
• GFP encourages non-toxic everywhere, but it is not required on U.S. Forest Service National Grasslands, SD School and Public Lands, or on most GFP Walk-In, CHAP, and CREP when hunting small game such as pheasants, grouse, or doves.
• GFP states explicitly: coated lead does not qualify as non-toxic. Turkeys are big game and can be hunted with lead under GFP’s framing on that page.

The same GPA/WPA = yes for upland, Walk-In/CREP/CHAP = no for upland (waterfowl still yes) table appears on the GFP FAQ and Hunting Areas Information. Administrative rule ARSD 41:06:04:05.01 matches the listed-area list and possession ban.

Trip context: South Dakota Walk-In Guide · South Dakota Pheasant Hunting 2026.

Kansas — listed WA/NWR + posted lands; WIHA usually lead-legal

KDWP’s hunting regulations require approved non-toxic for listed migratory birds statewide, and for all shotgun hunting on named wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges, including (regs PDF list—confirm current edition): Benedictine Bottoms WA, Cheyenne Bottoms WA, Cherokee Lowlands WA, Flint Hills NWR, Gurley Salt Marsh WA, Herron Playa WA, Isabel Wetlands WA, Jamestown WA, Kirwin NWR, Marais des Cygnes NWR & WA, McPherson Wetlands WA, Neosho WA, Otter Creek WA, Quivira NWR, Slate Creek WA, Stein Playa WA, Talmo Marsh WA, Texas Lake WA, Wild Turkey Playa WA, and other areas as posted. Cheyenne Bottoms’ area page also states non-toxic is required for all shotgun hunting and that possession of lead shot in the field is prohibited.

K.A.R. 115-8-3: anyone hunting with a shotgun on department lands or waters posted “steel shot only” or “non-toxic shot only” must possess and use only non-toxic shot approved under K.A.R. 115-18-14. Most WIHA / iWIHA tracts do not automatically require non-toxic for pheasant—but never skip the atlas pop-up or field sign.

See Kansas WIHA Pheasant Guide · Kansas Pheasant Hunting 2026.

Iowa — selected north-central / northwest public areas

Iowa DNR’s pheasant FAQ: non-toxic shot is required to hunt all game animals (except deer and turkey) on selected public hunting areas in north-central and northwest Iowa—see the current hunting regulations booklet county table.

Iowa Administrative Code 571—51.9 makes it unlawful to hunt migratory game birds or resident game or furbearers (except deer and turkeys), or to target-shoot with a shotgun, while possessing any shot other than USFWS-approved non-toxic on the listed wildlife areas (county-by-county: e.g. all state and federal areas in many prairie lakes counties, with named exceptions for certain target ranges and access sites).

DNR booklet notes also: non-toxic is required for hunting (including wild turkey) on Federal WPAs; lead bullets remain allowed for deer on all areas under that framing. Do not assume every WMA or IHAP tract is lead-legal—check the table for that county.

Deep dive: Iowa Pheasant Hunting 2026.

Nebraska — WPAs / NWRs always; some WMAs as posted

NGPC’s Where to Hunt WPA section: WPAs are open to walk-in public hunting, trapping, and fishing; nontoxic shot is required. Camping, target shooting, and black-tailed prairie dog shooting are prohibited on WPAs under that page’s summary.

NGPC’s waterfowl checklist: it is unlawful to use or possess shotgun shells other than nontoxic while hunting waterfowl; nontoxic is required for all shotgun hunting on federal WPAs, national wildlife refuges, and some state wildlife management areas, as posted. Legal types listed there include steel, coated steel, bismuth-tin, and several tungsten alloys (confirm against the live federal list). Older NGPC Small Game & Waterfowl guide language also points hunters to lands listed in the Public Access Atlas.

Practical rule for a Nebraska rooster loop: steel (or approved denser non-toxic) on every WPA/NWR, and check Atlas/signs before assuming a WMA is lead-legal. Access how-to: Nebraska Public Access Atlas Tips.

North Dakota — USFWS lands for upland; PLOTS usually not

NDGF 2026 Small Game proclamation §5: possession or use of shot other than federally approved non-toxic is prohibited while hunting ducks, geese, sandhill cranes, snipe, tundra swans, mergansers, and coots (possession defined as in the gun, pockets, or within reach while hunting those species). In addition, all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands (National Wildlife Refuges, Wildlife Development Areas, and Waterfowl Production Areas) require non-toxic shot for hunting upland game. Contact the refuge manager for refuge-specific detail.

Ordinary state WMAs and Conservation PLOTS are not swept into that upland USFWS sentence—still verify signs and the current PLOTS guide. Trip context: ND PLOTS First-Week Rules · North Dakota Pheasant Hunting 2026.

Minnesota — WPA/refuge possess-and-use; parks, some WMAs, SNAs

Per MN DNR — Nontoxic ammunition (page updated mid-2026):

• Federal WPAs and refuges: small-game hunters using shotguns, including turkey hunters, must use and possess only nontoxic shot.
• State Parks and parks-managed lands: while participating in hunts, individuals may possess only nontoxic ammunition on their person while taking or attempting to take wild animals.
• Some WMAs: only nontoxic ammunition may be possessed and used on specially designated WMAs (example cited: Keystone Woods WMA, Washington County).
• Scientific and natural areas: only nontoxic ammunition on all SNAs open to hunting with firearms, excluding some peatland SNAs.
• Hunters must submit to firearm inspection when requested; a valid carry permit allows possessing a handgun with non-nontoxic ammo but not using it to take wild game.

Most ordinary WMAs and Walk-In Access tracts are not automatically non-toxic for pheasant—confirm the unit. See Minnesota WIA Validation Guide · Minnesota Pheasant Hunting 2026.

Montana — federal refuges and WPAs for upland birds

Montana FWP’s 2026 Upland Game Bird regulations: hunters are reminded that nontoxic shot is required for hunting upland game birds on federal refuges or waterfowl production areas. Only federally approved nontoxic shot may be used; questions go to local USFWS offices. Block Management and most ordinary state public land are outside that sentence unless a specific area posts otherwise—TBD / verify on the unit you walk.

State overview: Montana Pheasant Hunting 2026.

Federal wetlands, WPAs, NWRs, and approved shot types

Across the Midwest prairie pothole belt, USFWS Waterfowl Production Areas and many National Wildlife Refuge hunt units require federally approved non-toxic for shotgun hunting—often including upland birds. Treat any atlas polygon labeled WPA/NWR as a steel (or approved dense non-toxic) day until the refuge tearsheet says otherwise.

Approved shot types for the federal migratory-bird rule live in 50 CFR 20.21(j) (also summarized by USFWS). Common field options include iron (steel), bismuth-tin, copper-clad iron, and various tungsten alloys/composites. Each approved type must contain less than 1% residual lead. Coatings of copper, nickel, tin, zinc, etc. on approved nontoxic cores are allowed—lead cores with a coating are not.

Approval process / list updates: 50 CFR 20.134.

Practical packing plan (complements shot-size guide)

1. Morning atlas / sign check — GPA vs Walk-In, WIHA vs listed WA, WPA mosaic, refuge boundary. Signs beat the PDF if they disagree. See How to Read a Walk-In Map.
2. Two-box vest on mixed dry/wet days: lead for confirmed lead-legal Walk-In/WIHA/PLOTS; non-toxic staged for the GPA/WPA you might hit after lunch. Never leave lead shells in the vest on possession-ban units.
3. Size up steel — lead #5 → steel roughly #3 / #2; pattern at 25 and 35 yards before the opener (Best Shot Size for Pheasants).
4. Keep steel shots honest — favor 20–35 yards; crippling risk rises hard past ~40 with light steel.
5. One “always legal” box in the truck for surprise WPA strips inside an otherwise private/walk-in loop.
6. Chokes & loads by cover: Pheasant Hunting Ammo & Chokes.

Related guides

• Best Shot Size for Pheasants (ballistics companion)
• Pheasant Hunting Ammo & Chokes
• South Dakota Walk-In Guide
• Kansas WIHA Pheasant Guide
• How to Read a Walk-In Map
• Walk-In Access Explained
• Blaze Orange Requirements by State
• Pheasant Hunting Gear Checklist

• SD GPA/WPA required + Walk-In/CHAP/CREP not required for upland from GFP general hunting laws + FAQ table (fetched 2026-09-16 UTC); coated-lead exclusion from GFP page
• KS listed WA/NWR all-shotgun non-toxic from KDWP hunting regs PDF; K.A.R. 115-8-3 for posted department lands; Cheyenne Bottoms possession ban from area page
• IA selected-area rule from DNR pheasant FAQ + IAC 571—51.9 PDF + 2026–27 regs booklet county table
• NE WPA nontoxic + “some WMAs as posted” from outdoornebraska.gov Where to Hunt + waterfowl checklist (checklist fetch blocked by Cloudflare once; rule text corroborated via search index + prior NGPC guide language)
• ND USFWS lands require non-toxic for upland from 2026 small-game proclamation §5
• MN possess-and-use on WPA/refuge, State Parks, designated WMAs, SNAs from dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/ammo/nontoxic.html (curl 2026-09-16)
• MT federal refuge/WPA upland requirement from 2026 Upland Game Bird regs PDF
• Federal approved types from 50 CFR 20.21(j) / USFWS summary—no invented bag limits or seasons
• Ballistics size-up deferred to best-shot-size-for-pheasants companion page

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