Meeker County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Meeker County has 10,496 acres of public land open to the public, 2.5% of the county, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (5,374 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 20 wildlife management areas here covering 4,299 acres, the largest Kingston WMA (624 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 3 sites of private land open to hunters, 203 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 277 (4,575 deer in 2025), DPA 283 (584 deer in 2025), DPA 685 and DPA 219 (1,989 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 areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessMeeker CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 412,495 acres (645 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2.5% (10,496 acres) |
| WMAs | 20 (4,299 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 3 sites, 203 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 277, DPA 283, DPA 685, DPA 219, DPA 284, DPA 282, DPA 218 |
| Towns | Litchfield, Darwin, Dassel, Eden Valley, Atwater and Kimball |
How much public hunting land is in Meeker County?
10,496 of the county's 412,495 acres are public land open to the public (2.5%). 9,906 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Meeker County |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 5,374 | 1.3% |
| State wildlife management areas | 4,508 | 1.1% |
| State parks | 384 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 206 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 24 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 10,496 | 2.5% |
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 Meeker County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Meeker County Waterfowl Production Area (5,374 acres) and Greenleaf Lake (384 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Meeker County?
20, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Kingston WMA | 624 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Greenleaf WMA | 437 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Madsen WMA | 364 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Manannah WMA | 320 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Wieker WMA | 305 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Rodewald WMA | 291 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Prairie-Big Woods WMA | 282 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Powers Lake WMA | 276 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Knapp WMA | 237 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Teal Scurry WMA | 235 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Popular WMA | 206 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Thoen Lake WMA | 155 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Butternut WMA | 154 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Litchfield WMA | 120 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Provencher WMA | 86 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Mahlon W. James Memorial WMA | 59 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Minnie-Man WMA | 41 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Hen Haven WMA | 40 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Acton WMA | 40 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Grovelund WMA | 27 | pheasants and ducks and geese |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Meeker County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 3 sites in Meeker County, 203 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Meeker WIA #717 (103 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Meeker WIA #717 | 103 | 45.2147, -94.3225 |
| Meeker WIA #513 | 62 | 45.1422, -94.5872 |
| Meeker WIA #900 | 38 | 45.0844, -94.4835 |
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 Meeker County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Meeker County lies in 7 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 277 (43.5% 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 | 43.5% | 4,575 | 2025 |
| DPA 283 | 27.1% | 584 | 2025 |
| DPA 685 | 15.7% | ||
| DPA 219 | 6.4% | 1,989 | 2025 |
| DPA 284 | 4.8% | 714 | 2025 |
| DPA 282 | 1.4% | 242 | 2025 |
| DPA 218 | 1.1% | 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 Meeker County?
Highways: MN 4 (about 31 miles in the county), US 12 (about 27 miles in the county), MN 22 (about 25 miles in the county), MN 15 (about 22 miles in the county) and MN 24 (about 19 miles in the county). Towns: Litchfield, Darwin, Dassel, Eden Valley, Cosmos, Watkins, Grove City and Kingston.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Meeker County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Meeker County Waterfowl Production Area (5,374 acres in the county) and Greenleaf Lake (384 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas, 5,374 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Meeker County?
Kingston WMA, with 624 acres inside the county. The county has 20 WMAs in all.
Does Meeker County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 3 sites and 203 acres in Meeker County.
Which deer permit area is Meeker County in?
DPA 277 (43.5%), DPA 283 (27.1%), DPA 685 (15.7%), DPA 219 (6.4%), DPA 284 (4.8%), DPA 282 (1.4%) and DPA 218 (1.1%). 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 283 DPA 219 DPA 284 DPA 282 DPA 218 McLeod County Wright County Stearns County Renville County Kandiyohi County Walk-In Access