Kandiyohi County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Kandiyohi County has 24,884 acres of public land open to the public, 4.5% of the county, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (14,984 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 27 wildlife management areas here covering 6,314 acres, the largest Dietrich Lange WMA (943 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 8 sites of private land open to hunters, 727 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 277 (4,575 deer in 2025), DPA 282 (242 deer in 2025), DPA 283 (584 deer in 2025) and DPA 218 (3,769 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 AccessKandiyohi CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 551,864 acres (862 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 4.5% (24,884 acres) |
| WMAs | 27 (6,314 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 8 sites, 727 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 277, DPA 282, DPA 283, DPA 218 |
| Towns | Willmar, New London, Spicer, Atwater, Paynesville and Belgrade |
How much public hunting land is in Kandiyohi County?
24,884 of the county's 551,864 acres are public land open to the public (4.5%). 21,762 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Kandiyohi County |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 14,984 | 2.7% |
| State wildlife management areas | 6,587 | 1.2% |
| State parks | 2,743 | 0.5% |
| County, city and regional land | 376 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 188 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 24,884 | 4.5% |
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 Kandiyohi County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Kandiyohi County Waterfowl Production Area (14,539 acres) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (446 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Kandiyohi County?
27, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Dietrich Lange WMA | 943 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Ringo-Nest WMA | 821 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Regal Flats WMA | 508 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Burbank WMA | 506 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Whitefield WMA | 488 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Oleander WMA | 403 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Follies WMA | 334 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Regal Meadows WMA | 305 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Cabinrock WMA | 259 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Rau Prairie Pothole WMA | 191 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Dalton Johnson WMA | 171 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Atwater WMA | 139 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Willmar WMA | 127 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Kandi WMA | 127 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Reed WMA | 118 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Gennessee WMA | 112 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants and small game |
| Sunburg WMA | 108 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Gopher Ridge WMA | 90 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Yohi WMA | 83 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Mamre WMA | 80 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Stearns Prairie Heritage WMA | 79 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| RIM Memorial WMA | 77 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lake Eleanor WMA | 72 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Roseville WMA | 64 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Eagle WMA | 50 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| New London WMA | 46 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Wig WMA | 13 | ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Kandiyohi County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 8 sites in Kandiyohi County, 727 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Kandiyohi WIA #236 (214 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Kandiyohi WIA #236 | 214 | 44.9931, -94.8926 |
| Kandiyohi WIA #378 | 142 | 45.3658, -94.7773 |
| Kandiyohi WIA #260 | 110 | 45.3143, -94.8094 |
| Kandiyohi WIA #786 | 84 | 44.978, -94.8251 |
| Kandiyohi WIA #431 | 74 | 45.0447, -94.8746 |
| Kandiyohi WIA #1078 | 47 | 44.934, -94.8328 |
| Kandiyohi WIA #254 | 32 | 44.9673, -94.8112 |
| Kandiyohi WIA #253 | 24 | 45.3448, -95.0267 |
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 Kandiyohi County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Kandiyohi County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 277 (51.2% 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 277 | 51.2% | 4,575 | 2025 |
| DPA 282 | 26.3% | 242 | 2025 |
| DPA 283 | 21.9% | 584 | 2025 |
| DPA 218 | 0.6% | 3,769 | 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 Kandiyohi County?
Highways: MN 23 (about 61 miles in the county), US 71 (about 47 miles in the county), US 12 (about 26 miles in the county), MN 7 (about 24 miles in the county) and MN 9 (about 18 miles in the county). Towns: Willmar, New London, Spicer, Atwater, Pennock, Blomkest, Prinsburg and Raymond.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Kandiyohi County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Kandiyohi County Waterfowl Production Area (14,539 acres in the county) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (446 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas, 14,984 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Kandiyohi County?
Dietrich Lange WMA, with 943 acres inside the county. The county has 27 WMAs in all.
Does Kandiyohi County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 8 sites and 727 acres in Kandiyohi County.
Which deer permit area is Kandiyohi County in?
DPA 277 (51.2%), DPA 282 (26.3%), DPA 283 (21.9%) and DPA 218 (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 277 DPA 282 DPA 283 DPA 218 Pope County Swift County Meeker County Stearns County Chippewa County Renville County Walk-In Access