Mille Lacs County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Mille Lacs County has 70,253 acres of public land open to the public, 16.1% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (40,601 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 9 wildlife management areas here covering 39,868 acres, the largest Mille Lacs WMA (32,330 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 222 (3,420 deer in 2025), DPA 157 (4,606 deer in 2025), DPA 249 (3,126 deer in 2025) and DPA 225 (5,598 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 landMille Lacs CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 436,287 acres (682 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 16.1% (70,253 acres) |
| WMAs | 9 (39,868 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 222, DPA 157, DPA 249, DPA 225, DPA 152, DPA 223, DPA 155, DPA 227 |
| Towns | Princeton, Milaca, Isle, Foreston, Hillman and Garrison |
How much public hunting land is in Mille Lacs County?
70,253 of the county's 436,287 acres are public land open to the public (16.1%). 60,206 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Mille Lacs County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 40,601 | 9.3% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 19,566 | 4.5% |
| State parks | 9,949 | 2.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 98 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 38 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 70,253 | 16.1% |
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 Mille Lacs County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Rum River State Forest (16,967 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Mille Lacs County?
9, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Mille Lacs WMA | 32,330 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Four Brooks WMA | 4,200 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Kunkel WMA | 2,583 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and bear |
| Ivan Jindra Memorial WMA | 243 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| BenLacs WMA | 174 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Groundhouse WMA | 162 | deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Onamia Lake WMA | 77 | ducks and geese |
| White Fish Lake WMA | 58 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Bolger WMA | 41 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and bear |
How many deer are taken in Mille Lacs County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Mille Lacs County lies in 8 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 222 (29.9% 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 222 | 29.9% | 3,420 | 2025 |
| DPA 157 | 25% | 4,606 | 2025 |
| DPA 249 | 22.1% | 3,126 | 2025 |
| DPA 225 | 11.2% | 5,598 | 2025 |
| DPA 152 | 7.5% | 153 | 2025 |
| DPA 223 | 1.9% | 2,839 | 2025 |
| DPA 155 | 1.6% | 1,134 | 2025 |
| DPA 227 | 0.9% | 4,198 | 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 Mille Lacs County?
Highways: US 169 (about 92 miles in the county), MN 27 (about 25 miles in the county), MN 47 (about 17 miles in the county), MN 23 (about 13 miles in the county) and MN 95 (about 12 miles in the county). Towns: Princeton, Milaca, Isle, Foreston, Onamia, Wahkon, Pease and Bock.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Mille Lacs County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Rum River State Forest (16,967 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 40,601 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Mille Lacs County?
Mille Lacs WMA, with 32,330 acres inside the county. The county has 9 WMAs in all.
Does Mille Lacs County have Walk-In Access land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access map. The program is mostly in western and southern Minnesota.
Which deer permit area is Mille Lacs County in?
DPA 222 (29.9%), DPA 157 (25%), DPA 249 (22.1%), DPA 225 (11.2%), DPA 152 (7.5%), DPA 223 (1.9%), DPA 155 (1.6%) and DPA 227 (0.9%). 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 222 DPA 157 DPA 249 DPA 225 DPA 152 DPA 223 DPA 155 DPA 227 Aitkin County Benton County Isanti County Kanabec County Morrison County Crow Wing County Sherburne County