Douglas County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Douglas County has 20,133 acres of public land open to the public, 4.4% of the county, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (11,701 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 35 wildlife management areas here covering 6,642 acres, the largest Roger M. Holmes WMA (1,031 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 4 sites of private land open to hunters, 363 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 213 (6,423 deer in 2025) and DPA 273 (1,013 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 AccessDouglas CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 460,942 acres (720 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 4.4% (20,133 acres) |
| WMAs | 35 (6,642 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 4 sites, 363 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 213, DPA 273 |
| Towns | Alexandria, Osakis, Millerville, Garfield, Farwell and Urbank |
How much public hunting land is in Douglas County?
20,133 of the county's 460,942 acres are public land open to the public (4.4%). 18,837 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Douglas County |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 11,701 | 2.5% |
| State wildlife management areas | 6,994 | 1.5% |
| State parks | 1,155 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 141 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 122 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 20 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 20,133 | 4.4% |
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 Douglas County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Douglas County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (11,676 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Douglas County?
35, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Roger M. Holmes WMA | 1,031 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Forada WMA | 829 | deer, wild turkey and pheasants |
| Herberger Lake WMA | 690 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Hegg Lake WMA | 380 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Spruce Creek WMA | 365 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese and small game |
| Engelbrecht WMA | 316 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Osakis WMA | 313 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Urness WMA | 265 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Belle River WMA | 253 | deer and pheasants |
| Roy L Thompson WMA | 216 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Viking WMA | 198 | ducks and geese |
| Brandon WMA | 182 | pheasants and small game |
| Red Rock Lake WMA | 167 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants and small game |
| Great Northern WMA | 150 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Evansville WMA | 123 | |
| La Grande WMA | 119 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Miltona WMA | 107 | deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Kensington WMA | 100 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Schnepf WMA | 91 | ducks and geese and small game |
| Lake Venus WMA | 91 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Garfield WMA | 80 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Gustave-Melby WMA | 78 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Hartfiel WMA | 63 | pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Pioneer Trail WMA | 49 | ducks and geese |
| Big Spruce WMA | 48 | deer, ducks and geese and small game |
| Balgaard WMA | 46 | pheasants |
| Anderson WMA | 41 | ducks and geese |
| Chermak WMA | 40 | pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Moe WMA | 39 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Schulke WMA | 38 | deer, ducks and geese and small game |
| Thornberg WMA | 33 | deer, ducks and geese and small game |
| Blair Pond WMA | 32 | ducks and geese |
| Satterlie WMA | 25 | deer, ducks and geese and small game |
| Eng Lake WMA | 23 | ducks and geese and bear |
| Kuhtz Lake WMA | 21 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Douglas County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 4 sites in Douglas County, 363 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Douglas WIA #291 (149 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas WIA #291 | 149 | 45.827, -95.2279 |
| Douglas WIA #461 | 82 | 45.97, -95.1569 |
| Douglas WIA #1125 | 73 | 45.8106, -95.606 |
| Douglas WIA #684 | 59 | 45.8349, -95.148 |
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 Douglas County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Douglas County lies in 2 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 213 (70.7% 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 213 | 70.7% | 6,423 | 2025 |
| DPA 273 | 29.3% | 1,013 | 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 Douglas County?
Highways: US 52 (about 69 miles in the county), I-94 (about 69 miles in the county), MN 27 (about 34 miles in the county), MN 29 (about 28 miles in the county) and MN 114 (about 9 miles in the county). Towns: Alexandria, Osakis, Millerville, Garfield, Evansville, Miltona, Nelson and Forada.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Douglas County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Douglas County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (11,676 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas, 11,701 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Douglas County?
Roger M. Holmes WMA, with 1,031 acres inside the county. The county has 35 WMAs in all.
Does Douglas County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 4 sites and 363 acres in Douglas County.
Which deer permit area is Douglas County in?
DPA 213 (70.7%) and DPA 273 (29.3%). 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 213 DPA 273 Pope County Todd County Grant County Stearns County Stevens County Otter Tail County Walk-In Access