Benton County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Benton County has 2,667 acres of public land open to the public, 1% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (2,167 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 8 wildlife management areas here covering 2,004 acres, the largest BenLacs WMA (446 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 221 (4,908 deer in 2025), DPA 222 (3,420 deer in 2025), DPA 223 (2,839 deer in 2025) and DPA 215 (5,267 deer in 2025).
Data updated October 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1. Wildlife Management Areas and Walk-In Access: the DNR's map layers, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landCounty, city and regional landBenton CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 264,344 acres (413 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 1% (2,667 acres) |
| WMAs | 8 (2,004 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 221, DPA 222, DPA 223, DPA 215 |
| Towns | Sauk Rapids, Rice, Foley, Gilman, Sartell and Royalton |
How much public hunting land is in Benton County?
2,667 of the county's 264,344 acres are public land open to the public (1%). 2,453 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Benton County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,167 | 0.8% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 286 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 214 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,667 | 1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). State wildlife management areas, state forest land and national forests are open to hunting in season; refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks allow hunting only in special hunts; national park land is closed to hunting; city and county parks set their own rules. PAD-US 4.1 leaves out most of the tax-forfeited land Minnesota counties manage, much of it open to hunting, so the public land here may be more than shown; the county land department has the maps.
Which wildlife management areas are in Benton County?
8, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| BenLacs WMA | 446 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Graham WMA | 401 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Sartell WMA | 368 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Michaelson Farm WMA | 259 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Glendorado WMA | 216 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Wisneski WMA | 164 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Benton WMA | 82 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Bibles Slough WMA | 68 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
How many deer are taken in Benton County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Benton County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 221 (59.1% of the county). Each figure below is for the whole permit area.
| DPA | Share of the county | Deer harvested in the whole DPA | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 221 | 59.1% | 4,908 | 2025 |
| DPA 222 | 32% | 3,420 | 2025 |
| DPA 223 | 8.4% | 2,839 | 2025 |
| DPA 215 | 0.5% | 5,267 | 2025 |
Harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report). Share of the county measured by FilledTag from the DNR's deer permit areas and the Census county line.
How do you get around Benton County?
Highways: US 10 (about 53 miles in the county), MN 23 (about 36 miles in the county), MN 25 (about 25 miles in the county), MN 95 (about 14 miles in the county) and MN 15 (about 4 miles in the county). Towns: Sauk Rapids, Rice, Foley, Gilman and Ronneby.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Benton County, Minnesota?
2,667 acres, 1% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1.
What is the largest WMA in Benton County?
BenLacs WMA, with 446 acres inside the county. The county has 8 WMAs in all.
Does Benton County have Walk-In Access land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access map. The program is mostly in western and southern Minnesota.
Which deer permit area is Benton County in?
DPA 221 (59.1%), DPA 222 (32%), DPA 223 (8.4%) and DPA 215 (0.5%). Bag limits and firearms dates follow the permit area.
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Where these numbers come from
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Wildlife Management Areas: Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible. Walk-In Access: Minnesota DNR Walk-In Access sites.
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
- County line: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads.
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps.
Minnesota hunting DPA 221 DPA 222 DPA 223 DPA 215 Stearns County Morrison County Sherburne County Mille Lacs County