Chippewa County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Chippewa County has 14,787 acres of public land open to the public, 3.9% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (13,920 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 16 wildlife management areas here covering 13,740 acres, the largest Lac qui Parle WMA (9,966 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 2 sites of private land open to hunters, 191 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 282 (242 deer in 2025), DPA 278 (639 deer in 2025), DPA 281 (1,343 deer in 2025) and DPA 275 (997 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 AccessChippewa CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 376,271 acres (588 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 3.9% (14,787 acres) |
| WMAs | 16 (13,740 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 2 sites, 191 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 282, DPA 278, DPA 281, DPA 275 |
| Towns | Montevideo, Clara City, Milan, Maynard, Granite Falls and Raymond |
How much public hunting land is in Chippewa County?
14,787 of the county's 376,271 acres are public land open to the public (3.9%). 14,518 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Chippewa County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 13,920 | 3.7% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 363 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 235 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 155 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 114 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 14,787 | 3.9% |
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 Chippewa County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Chippewa County Waterfowl Production Area (361 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Chippewa County?
16, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Lac qui Parle WMA | 9,966 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Grace Marshes WMA | 922 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Milan WMA | 447 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Benderberg WMA | 427 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Byholt Marsh WMA | 283 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Sween WMA | 276 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Spartan WMA | 227 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Numo WMA | 207 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Cuka WMA | 199 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Bergo WMA | 189 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Sena WMA | 184 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Clair T. Rollings Chippewa Co. WMA | 121 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Boike WMA | 104 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Tunsberg WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Franko WMA | 67 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Shakopee WMA | 40 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Chippewa County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 2 sites in Chippewa County, 191 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Chippewa WIA #823 (119 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Chippewa WIA #823 | 119 | 45.0186, -95.296 |
| Chippewa WIA #1007 | 72 | 45.0779, -95.7364 |
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 Chippewa County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Chippewa County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 282 (58.6% 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 282 | 58.6% | 242 | 2025 |
| DPA 278 | 18.1% | 639 | 2025 |
| DPA 281 | 14.9% | 1,343 | 2025 |
| DPA 275 | 8.4% | 997 | 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 Chippewa County?
Highways: MN 7 (about 44 miles in the county), MN 23 (about 24 miles in the county), US 59 (about 20 miles in the county), MN 29 (about 13 miles in the county) and MN 277 (about 11 miles in the county). Towns: Montevideo, Clara City, Milan, Maynard and Watson.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Chippewa County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Chippewa County Waterfowl Production Area (361 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 13,920 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Chippewa County?
Lac qui Parle WMA, with 9,966 acres inside the county. The county has 16 WMAs in all.
Does Chippewa County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 2 sites and 191 acres in Chippewa County.
Which deer permit area is Chippewa County in?
DPA 282 (58.6%), DPA 278 (18.1%), DPA 281 (14.9%) and DPA 275 (8.4%). 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 282 DPA 278 DPA 281 DPA 275 Swift County Renville County Kandiyohi County Lac qui Parle County Yellow Medicine County Walk-In Access