Dodge County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Dodge County has 1,464 acres of public land open to the public, 0.5% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (1,043 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 12 wildlife management areas here covering 1,038 acres, the largest Naylor WMA (307 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 233 (652 deer in 2025), DPA 643 (3,469 deer in 2025), DPA 255 (704 deer in 2025) and DPA 293 (775 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 landDodge CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 281,417 acres (440 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 0.5% (1,464 acres) |
| WMAs | 12 (1,038 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 233, DPA 643, DPA 255, DPA 293, DPA 655, DPA 341 |
| Towns | Kasson, Dodge Center, Mantorville, Hayfield, Blooming Prairie and Byron |
How much public hunting land is in Dodge County?
1,464 of the county's 281,417 acres are public land open to the public (0.5%). 1,120 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Dodge County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,043 | 0.4% |
| State parks | 254 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 90 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 77 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,464 | 0.5% |
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.
Which wildlife management areas are in Dodge County?
12, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Naylor WMA | 307 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Pheasants Forever WMA | 297 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Bud Jensen WMA | 102 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Vernon WMA | 84 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Orning WMA | 66 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Tri-cooperative WMA | 47 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Vorce WMA | 40 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| McMartin WMA | 38 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| South Fork Zumbro River WMA | 17 | deer, wild turkey and ducks and geese |
| Teapail WMA | 15 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Schletty WMA | 14 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Wasioja WMA | 11 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
How many deer are taken in Dodge County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Dodge County lies in 6 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 233 (60.2% 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 233 | 60.2% | 652 | 2025 |
| DPA 643 | 16.7% | 3,469 | 2025 |
| DPA 255 | 9.8% | 704 | 2025 |
| DPA 293 | 9.6% | 775 | 2025 |
| DPA 655 | 2.1% | 451 | 2025 |
| DPA 341 | 1.7% | 3,312 | 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 Dodge County?
Highways: US 14 (about 38 miles in the county), MN 56 (about 30 miles in the county), MN 30 (about 20 miles in the county) and MN 57 (about 13 miles in the county). Towns: Kasson, Dodge Center, Mantorville, Hayfield, Claremont and West Concord.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Dodge County, Minnesota?
1,464 acres, 0.5% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1.
What is the largest WMA in Dodge County?
Naylor WMA, with 307 acres inside the county. The county has 12 WMAs in all.
Does Dodge 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 Dodge County in?
DPA 233 (60.2%), DPA 643 (16.7%), DPA 255 (9.8%), DPA 293 (9.6%), DPA 655 (2.1%) and DPA 341 (1.7%). 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 233 DPA 643 DPA 255 DPA 293 DPA 655 DPA 341 Rice County Mower County Steele County Goodhue County Olmsted County