Murray County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Murray County has 17,523 acres of public land open to the public, 3.8% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (13,470 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 63 wildlife management areas here covering 13,330 acres, the largest Dovray WMA (998 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 12 sites of private land open to hunters, 1,121 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 295 (904 deer in 2025), DPA 294 (472 deer in 2025), DPA 237 (301 deer in 2025) and DPA 238 (114 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 parksWalk-In AccessMurray CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 460,582 acres (720 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 3.8% (17,523 acres) |
| WMAs | 63 (13,330 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 12 sites, 1,121 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 295, DPA 294, DPA 237, DPA 238, DPA 234 |
| Towns | Slayton, Fulda, Avoca, Chandler, Dundee and Garvin |
How much public hunting land is in Murray County?
17,523 of the county's 460,582 acres are public land open to the public (3.8%). 16,703 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Murray County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 13,470 | 2.9% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 3,153 | 0.7% |
| State parks | 820 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 79 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 17,523 | 3.8% |
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 Murray County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Murray County Waterfowl Production Area (3,069 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Murray County?
63, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Dovray WMA | 998 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lake Maria WMA | 951 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Shetek WMA | 731 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Badger Lake WMA | 617 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Talcot Lake WMA | 597 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| H.C. Southwick WMA | 569 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Buffalo Lake WMA | 568 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Shetek Inlet WMA | 542 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Klinker WMA | 532 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Beaver Creek WMA | 512 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Skandia WMA | 498 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Chandler WMA | 409 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Irruption WMA | 341 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Budolfson WMA | 333 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Great Oasis WMA | 319 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Ruthton WMA | 294 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Plum Creek WMA | 283 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Hjermstad WMA | 266 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| County Line WMA | 222 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Peters WMA | 206 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Nelson WMA | 198 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lowville WMA | 194 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Stoderl Slough WMA | 160 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Leeds WMA | 154 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Schoeberl WMA | 150 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Tutt WMA | 149 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Henry Vos WMA | 140 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Gallinago WMA | 138 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Christensen WMA | 131 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Wirock WMA | 122 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Sarah-Mason WMA | 121 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Adolph Lofthus WMA | 106 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Fenmont WMA | 102 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Salt & Pepper WMA | 97 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Haberman WMA | 96 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Devils Run WMA | 90 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Rupp WMA | 83 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Humphery WMA | 82 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Wajer WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Ellsborough WMA | 80 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Van Eck WMA | 77 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Mccord-Laible WMA | 76 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Degroot WMA | 75 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Phelan WMA | 69 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Iron Lake WMA | 67 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lange WMA | 63 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Avoca WMA | 60 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Dierenfield WMA | 56 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Buttermilk Run WMA | 56 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Engebretson WMA | 55 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Melchior WMA | 54 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Shirley's Slough WMA | 51 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Mcgee WMA | 43 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Cleanwater WMA | 38 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Sweetman WMA | 35 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Mason WMA | 35 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Bergman WMA | 33 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Carlson WMA | 26 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Tennessen WMA | 23 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Scheuring WMA | 22 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Reinhold WMA | 21 | deer and pheasants |
| Elder WMA | 20 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Current WMA | 13 | pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Murray County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 12 sites in Murray County, 1,121 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Murray WIA #150 (236 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Murray WIA #150 | 236 | 44.1786, -96.057 |
| Murray WIA #160 | 127 | 43.9752, -95.537 |
| Murray WIA #1037 | 110 | 44.0775, -95.9988 |
| Murray WIA #1106 | 105 | 44.1272, -96.0507 |
| Murray WIA #397 | 103 | 44.04, -95.7899 |
| Murray WIA #1039 | 88 | 43.9816, -95.8662 |
| Murray WIA #893 | 79 | 44.1258, -95.5506 |
| Murray WIA #146 | 76 | 44.0914, -95.5707 |
| Murray WIA #148 | 63 | 44.0737, -96.0288 |
| Murray WIA #770 | 51 | 44.0337, -96.054 |
| Murray WIA #1038 | 47 | 44.0719, -96.0014 |
| Murray WIA #614 | 36 | 44.0812, -96.0008 |
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 Murray County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Murray County lies in 5 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 295 (71.2% 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 295 | 71.2% | 904 | 2025 |
| DPA 294 | 18.5% | 472 | 2025 |
| DPA 237 | 4.9% | 301 | 2025 |
| DPA 238 | 3.9% | 114 | 2025 |
| DPA 234 | 1.5% | 288 | 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 Murray County?
Highways: MN 30 (about 36 miles in the county), US 59 (about 29 miles in the county), MN 91 (about 25 miles in the county), MN 62 (about 7 miles in the county) and MN 267 (about 5 miles in the county). Towns: Slayton, Fulda, Avoca, Chandler, Currie, Iona, Lake Wilson and Hadley.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Murray County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Murray County Waterfowl Production Area (3,069 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 13,470 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Murray County?
Dovray WMA, with 998 acres inside the county. The county has 63 WMAs in all.
Does Murray County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 12 sites and 1,121 acres in Murray County.
Which deer permit area is Murray County in?
DPA 295 (71.2%), DPA 294 (18.5%), DPA 237 (4.9%), DPA 238 (3.9%) and DPA 234 (1.5%). 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 295 DPA 294 DPA 237 DPA 238 DPA 234 Lyon County Rock County Nobles County Redwood County Pipestone County Cottonwood County Walk-In Access