McLeod County, Minnesota: public hunting land
McLeod County has 5,782 acres of public land open to the public, 1.8% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (3,561 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 22 wildlife management areas here covering 3,511 acres, the largest Ras-Lynn WMA (1,460 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 4 sites of private land open to hunters, 340 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 284 (714 deer in 2025) and DPA 685.
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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessMcLeod CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 323,509 acres (505 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 1.8% (5,782 acres) |
| WMAs | 22 (3,511 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 4 sites, 340 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 284, DPA 685 |
| Towns | Hutchinson, Glencoe, Winsted, Lester Prairie, Cedar Mills and New Auburn |
How much public hunting land is in McLeod County?
5,782 of the county's 323,509 acres are public land open to the public (1.8%). 5,510 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of McLeod County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,561 | 1.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,945 | 0.6% |
| County, city and regional land | 272 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,782 | 1.8% |
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 McLeod County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Mcleod County Waterfowl Production Area (1,949 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in McLeod County?
22, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Ras-Lynn WMA | 1,460 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Baker's Lake WMA | 313 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Rich Valley WMA | 266 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Spiering WMA | 157 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Kujas Lake WMA | 116 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and mourning doves |
| Pebbles WMA | 110 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| McLeod Pheasants Forever WMA | 92 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Penn WMA | 90 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Halva Marsh WMA | 88 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Kohl's WMA | 87 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Deutsch WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Mark and Ursel Smith WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Clouster Lake WMA | 80 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Sumter WMA | 80 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Prairie Heritage WMA | 76 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Crow Wing River II WMA | 62 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Hassan Valley WMA | 53 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Bob Gehlen WMA | 53 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Hutchinson WMA | 48 | |
| The Forty WMA | 40 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Prieve WMA | 40 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and mourning doves |
| Phasianus WMA | 38 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in McLeod County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 4 sites in McLeod County, 340 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is McLeod WIA #615 (136 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| McLeod WIA #615 | 136 | 44.6476, -94.4628 |
| McLeod WIA #154 | 131 | 44.8218, -94.4625 |
| McLeod WIA #468 | 38 | 44.7851, -94.4347 |
| McLeod WIA #424 | 35 | 44.8394, -94.2255 |
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 McLeod County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. McLeod County lies in 2 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 284 (51% 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 284 | 51% | 714 | 2025 |
| DPA 685 | 49% |
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 McLeod County?
Highways: US 212 (about 36 miles in the county), MN 22 (about 35 miles in the county), MN 7 (about 26 miles in the county), MN 15 (about 24 miles in the county) and MN 261 (about 7 miles in the county). Towns: Hutchinson, Glencoe, Winsted, Lester Prairie, Stewart, Silver Lake, Brownton and Plato.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in McLeod County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Mcleod County Waterfowl Production Area (1,949 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 3,561 acres.
What is the largest WMA in McLeod County?
Ras-Lynn WMA, with 1,460 acres inside the county. The county has 22 WMAs in all.
Does McLeod County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 4 sites and 340 acres in McLeod County.
Which deer permit area is McLeod County in?
DPA 284 (51%) and DPA 685 (49%). 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 284 Carver County Meeker County Sibley County Wright County Renville County Walk-In Access