Pipestone County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Pipestone County has 4,763 acres of public land open to the public, 1.6% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (2,929 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 14 wildlife management areas here covering 2,916 acres, the largest Winter WMA (975 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 5 sites of private land open to hunters, 517 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 294 (472 deer in 2025) and DPA 234 (288 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 parksNational park landCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessPipestone CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 298,194 acres (466 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 1.6% (4,763 acres) |
| WMAs | 14 (2,916 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 5 sites, 517 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 294, DPA 234 |
| Towns | Pipestone, Hatfield, Trosky, Edgerton, Jasper and Florence |
How much public hunting land is in Pipestone County?
4,763 of the county's 298,194 acres are public land open to the public (1.6%). 3,466 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Pipestone County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,929 | 1% |
| State parks | 952 | 0.3% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 419 | 0.1% |
| National park land | 302 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 118 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 43 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,763 | 1.6% |
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 Pipestone County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Pipestone National Monument (303 acres) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (118 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Pipestone County?
14, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Winter WMA | 975 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Terrace WMA | 445 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Altona WMA | 343 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Woodstock WMA | 250 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Poplar Creek WMA | 231 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Eden WMA | 159 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Burke WMA | 106 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Gromer's Draw WMA | 87 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Ringneck Ridge WMA | 82 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Jasper WMA | 80 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Troy WMA | 55 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Buffalo Ridge WMA | 41 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Holland WMA | 39 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Van Beek WMA | 23 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Pipestone County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 5 sites in Pipestone County, 517 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Pipestone WIA #226 (167 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Pipestone WIA #226 | 167 | 44.1713, -96.1526 |
| Pipestone WIA #1088 | 146 | 44.0997, -96.0894 |
| Pipestone WIA #400 | 91 | 44.0044, -96.3607 |
| Pipestone WIA #1034 | 65 | 44.1296, -96.1703 |
| Pipestone WIA #358 | 48 | 44.1553, -96.1406 |
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 Pipestone County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Pipestone County lies in 2 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 294 (96.1% of the county). Each figure below is for the whole permit area.
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 Pipestone County?
Highways: MN 23 (about 30 miles in the county), US 75 (about 25 miles in the county), MN 30 (about 20 miles in the county), MN 268 (about 7 miles in the county) and MN 269 (about 2 miles in the county). Towns: Pipestone, Hatfield, Trosky, Edgerton, Holland, Ruthton, Woodstock and Ihlen.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Pipestone County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Pipestone National Monument (303 acres in the county) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (118 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 2,929 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Pipestone County?
Winter WMA, with 975 acres inside the county. The county has 14 WMAs in all.
Does Pipestone County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 5 sites and 517 acres in Pipestone County.
Which deer permit area is Pipestone County in?
DPA 294 (96.1%) and DPA 234 (3.9%). 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 294 DPA 234 Lyon County Rock County Murray County Lincoln County Walk-In Access