Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Lac qui Parle County has 38,057 acres of public land open to the public, 7.6% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (22,666 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 44 wildlife management areas here covering 22,590 acres, the largest Lac qui Parle WMA (11,691 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 12 sites of private land open to hunters, 1,036 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 280 (329 deer in 2025), DPA 278 (639 deer in 2025) and DPA 279 (397 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 AccessLac qui Parle CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 497,936 acres (778 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 7.6% (38,057 acres) |
| WMAs | 44 (22,590 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 12 sites, 1,036 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 280, DPA 278, DPA 279 |
| Towns | Dawson, Madison, Boyd, Bellingham, Odessa and Montevideo |
How much public hunting land is in Lac qui Parle County?
38,057 of the county's 497,936 acres are public land open to the public (7.6%). 37,622 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lac qui Parle County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 22,666 | 4.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 14,878 | 3% |
| State parks | 435 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 78 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 38,057 | 7.6% |
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 Lac qui Parle County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge (10,541 acres) and Lac Qui Parle County Waterfowl Production Area (4,352 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Lac qui Parle County?
44, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Lac qui Parle WMA | 11,691 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Florida Creek WMA | 1,113 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Salt Lake WMA | 780 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| David B. Vesall WMA | 645 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Sweetwater WMA | 585 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Kibler WMA | 541 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Gollnick WMA | 516 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Walter WMA | 510 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Haydenville WMA | 484 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Quilitz WMA | 383 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Northeast Four Corners WMA | 361 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Baxter WMA | 346 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Hantho WMA | 335 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| 25th Anniversary WMA | 329 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Flinks Slough WMA | 323 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Hamlin WMA | 318 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Madrena WMA | 306 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Caerulean WMA | 264 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Borchardt -Rosin WMA | 258 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Providence WMA | 233 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Madison WMA | 228 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Perry WMA | 212 | |
| Kemen WMA | 209 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Ten-Well WMA | 175 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Wild Wings WMA | 166 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Bail Out WMA | 155 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Riverside WMA | 146 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Red Buffalo WMA | 108 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Creekside WMA | 100 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Church WMA | 95 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lillejord WMA | 94 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Plantation WMA | 69 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Prospect WMA | 66 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Sioux Indian WMA | 64 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lundy WMA | 61 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Indigo WMA | 59 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Dacotah WMA | 49 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Ohnah WMA | 44 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Medicine Pipe WMA | 36 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Sioux Reservation Line WMA | 34 | ducks and geese |
| Michaelson WMA | 31 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Dawson WMA | 27 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Fulica WMA | 21 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Pyramid WMA | 20 | deer, pheasants and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Lac qui Parle County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 12 sites in Lac qui Parle County, 1,036 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Lac qui Parle WIA #989 (161 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Lac qui Parle WIA #989 | 161 | 44.8155, -96.3097 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #1055 | 155 | 44.8391, -96.312 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #1134 | 138 | 44.8651, -96.2905 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #195 | 105 | 44.9686, -96.1745 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #1067 | 85 | 44.8955, -96.2862 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #1002 | 83 | 44.8829, -96.3449 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #436 | 67 | 44.9089, -96.345 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #846 | 64 | 44.8187, -96.2299 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #925 | 57 | 44.9081, -96.017 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #924 | 57 | 44.9107, -96.0174 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #642 | 54 | 44.8521, -96.4093 |
| Lac qui Parle WIA #990 | 10 | 44.8155, -96.2942 |
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 Lac qui Parle County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Lac qui Parle County lies in 3 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 280 (36.9% 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 280 | 36.9% | 329 | 2025 |
| DPA 278 | 34.4% | 639 | 2025 |
| DPA 279 | 28.7% | 397 | 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 Lac qui Parle County?
Highways: US 212 (about 35 miles in the county), US 75 (about 32 miles in the county), MN 40 (about 29 miles in the county), MN 275 (about 7 miles in the county) and US 59 (about 6 miles in the county). Towns: Dawson, Madison, Boyd, Bellingham, Marietta, Louisburg and Nassau.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Lac qui Parle County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge (10,541 acres in the county) and Lac Qui Parle County Waterfowl Production Area (4,352 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 22,666 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Lac qui Parle County?
Lac qui Parle WMA, with 11,691 acres inside the county. The county has 44 WMAs in all.
Does Lac qui Parle County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 12 sites and 1,036 acres in Lac qui Parle County.
Which deer permit area is Lac qui Parle County in?
DPA 280 (36.9%), DPA 278 (34.4%) and DPA 279 (28.7%). 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 280 DPA 278 DPA 279 Swift County Chippewa County Big Stone County Yellow Medicine County Walk-In Access