Brown County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Brown County has 6,064 acres of public land open to the public, 1.5% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (4,371 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 24 wildlife management areas here covering 4,300 acres, the largest Wood Lake WMA (777 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 11 sites of private land open to hunters, 875 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 296 (607 deer in 2025), DPA 290 (1,202 deer in 2025), DPA 289 (558 deer in 2025) and DPA 291 (1,896 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 areasState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessBrown CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 395,700 acres (618 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 1.5% (6,064 acres) |
| WMAs | 24 (4,300 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 11 sites, 875 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 296, DPA 290, DPA 289, DPA 291, DPA 299 |
| Towns | New Ulm, Springfield, Sleepy Eye, Evan, Sanborn and Courtland |
How much public hunting land is in Brown County?
6,064 of the county's 395,700 acres are public land open to the public (1.5%). 4,990 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Brown County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 4,371 | 1.1% |
| State parks | 820 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 429 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 254 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 190 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,064 | 1.5% |
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.
The largest public areas in Brown County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Brown County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (190 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Brown County?
24, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Lake WMA | 777 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Bashaw WMA | 586 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA | 569 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Mulligan Slough WMA | 409 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| River Valley WMA | 272 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Boesch WMA | 225 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Vogel WMA | 166 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Verona WMA, Main Unit | 164 | pheasants and small game |
| Coal Mine Creek WMA | 146 | pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Riecks Slough WMA | 131 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Southeast Hanska WMA | 125 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Emerson WMA | 119 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Winding Creek WMA | 118 | |
| Verona WMA, NE Unit | 80 | pheasants and small game |
| William A. Groebner WMA | 78 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants and small game |
| Terri WMA | 74 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants and small game |
| Middle Creek WMA | 71 | |
| Somsen WMA | 49 | ducks and geese |
| Meadowlark Acres WMA | 41 | pheasants and small game |
| Albin WMA | 37 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Helget-Braulick WMA | 28 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Romberg WMA | 19 | pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Klug WMA | 10 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Boise Lake WMA | 6 | ducks and geese |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Brown County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 11 sites in Brown County, 875 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Brown WIA #323 (153 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Brown WIA #323 | 153 | 44.494, -94.8637 |
| Brown WIA #919 | 142 | 44.335, -94.5653 |
| Brown WIA #1130 | 112 | 44.1481, -94.8357 |
| Brown WIA #442 | 89 | 44.2888, -94.6544 |
| Brown WIA #324 | 82 | 44.482, -94.8286 |
| Brown WIA #171 | 75 | 44.2844, -94.6597 |
| Brown WIA #635 | 70 | 44.1723, -94.7963 |
| Brown WIA #1084 | 40 | 44.16, -94.8948 |
| Brown WIA #930 | 40 | 44.1682, -94.8065 |
| Brown WIA #170 | 38 | 44.1683, -94.8014 |
| Brown WIA #634 | 34 | 44.1777, -94.7964 |
Locations are the middle of each site, from the DNR's 2026 layer. Landowners may leave the program during the year; the DNR's Walk-In Access page and its site status page have the current list.
How many deer are taken in Brown County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Brown County lies in 5 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 296 (45.6% 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 296 | 45.6% | 607 | 2025 |
| DPA 290 | 39.5% | 1,202 | 2025 |
| DPA 289 | 9.3% | 558 | 2025 |
| DPA 291 | 4.9% | 1,896 | 2025 |
| DPA 299 | 0.6% | 726 | 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 Brown County?
Highways: US 14 (about 38 miles in the county), MN 68 (about 37 miles in the county), MN 4 (about 25 miles in the county), MN 15 (about 19 miles in the county) and MN 257 (about 4 miles in the county). Towns: New Ulm, Springfield, Sleepy Eye, Evan, Cobden, Comfrey, Hanska and Essig.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Brown County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Brown County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (190 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 4,371 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Brown County?
Wood Lake WMA, with 777 acres inside the county. The county has 24 WMAs in all.
Does Brown County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 11 sites and 875 acres in Brown County.
Which deer permit area is Brown County in?
DPA 296 (45.6%), DPA 290 (39.5%), DPA 289 (9.3%), DPA 291 (4.9%) and DPA 299 (0.6%). 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 296 DPA 290 DPA 289 DPA 291 DPA 299 Redwood County Nicollet County Renville County Watonwan County Blue Earth County Cottonwood County Walk-In Access