Otter Tail County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Otter Tail County has 52,109 acres of public land open to the public, 3.7% of the county, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (24,782 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 37 wildlife management areas here covering 13,366 acres, the largest Orwell WMA (2,127 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 239 (3,595 deer in 2025), DPA 240 (5,068 deer in 2025), DPA 241 (7,163 deer in 2025) and DPA 213 (6,423 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 AccessOtter Tail CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 1,423,646 acres (2,224 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 3.7% (52,109 acres) |
| WMAs | 37 (13,366 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 239, DPA 240, DPA 241, DPA 213, DPA 270, DPA 273, DPA 269 |
| Towns | Fergus Falls, Ottertail, Deer Creek, Perham, Rothsay and Ashby |
How much public hunting land is in Otter Tail County?
52,109 of the county's 1,423,646 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). 41,597 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Otter Tail County |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 24,782 | 1.7% |
| State wildlife management areas | 13,753 | 1% |
| State parks | 10,011 | 0.7% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 2,976 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 501 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 86 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 52,109 | 3.7% |
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 Otter Tail County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Otter Tail County Waterfowl Production Area (24,536 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Otter Tail County?
37, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Orwell WMA | 2,127 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Elmo WMA | 1,508 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Inman (Wunderlich) WMA | 1,352 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Eastern WMA | 1,028 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Dead Lake WMA | 896 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Amor WMA | 720 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and bear |
| Doran WMA | 616 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Head Lake WMA | 421 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Bluff Creek WMA | 404 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Davies WMA | 390 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Folden Woods Marsh WMA | 320 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Aastad WMA | 317 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Perham WMA | 314 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Erlandson WMA | 283 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Coyour Memorial WMA | 240 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Sonnenberg WMA | 239 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Wrightstown WMA | 221 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nycklemoe WMA | 208 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Copeland WMA | 200 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Almora WMA | 164 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Prairie Ridge WMA | 160 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Long Branch Creek WMA | 147 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Valdine WMA | 140 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Hi-View WMA | 134 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Jensen Memorial WMA | 133 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Lake Sixteen WMA | 119 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Norwegian WMA | 84 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Oscar WMA | 83 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Butler WMA | 71 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Otto WMA | 69 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Inspiration WMA | 59 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Homestead WMA | 44 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| St. Olaf WMA | 42 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Windy Lake WMA | 40 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Clitheral WMA | 33 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Scambler WMA | 25 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| West Township County Gravel Pit WMA | 15 | deer, mourning doves and small game |
How many deer are taken in Otter Tail County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Otter Tail County lies in 7 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 239 (38.2% 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 239 | 38.2% | 3,595 | 2025 |
| DPA 240 | 28.6% | 5,068 | 2025 |
| DPA 241 | 13.8% | 7,163 | 2025 |
| DPA 213 | 9.7% | 6,423 | 2025 |
| DPA 270 | 8.8% | 330 | 2025 |
| DPA 273 | 0.8% | 1,013 | 2025 |
| DPA 269 | 0% | 464 | 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 Otter Tail County?
Highways: US 10 (about 67 miles in the county), US 52 (about 65 miles in the county), I-94 (about 65 miles in the county), MN 210 (about 63 miles in the county) and US 59 (about 61 miles in the county). Towns: Fergus Falls, Ottertail, Deer Creek, Perham, Henning, Bluffton, Pelican Rapids and Vergas.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Otter Tail County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Otter Tail County Waterfowl Production Area (24,536 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas, 24,782 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Otter Tail County?
Orwell WMA, with 2,127 acres inside the county. The county has 37 WMAs in all.
Does Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County in?
DPA 239 (38.2%), DPA 240 (28.6%), DPA 241 (13.8%), DPA 213 (9.7%), DPA 270 (8.8%), DPA 273 (0.8%) and DPA 269 (0%). 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 239 DPA 240 DPA 241 DPA 213 DPA 270 DPA 273 DPA 269 Clay County Todd County Grant County Becker County Wadena County Wilkin County Douglas County