Renville County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Renville County has 4,665 acres of public land open to the public, 0.7% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (2,545 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 15 wildlife management areas here covering 2,524 acres, the largest Beaver Falls WMA (446 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 1 site of private land open to hunters, 38 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 282 (242 deer in 2025), DPA 281 (1,343 deer in 2025), DPA 290 (1,202 deer in 2025) and DPA 284 (714 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 parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessRenville CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 631,742 acres (987 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 0.7% (4,665 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (2,524 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 1 site, 38 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 282, DPA 281, DPA 290, DPA 284 |
| Towns | Olivia, Hector, Bird Island, Renville, Stewart and Maynard |
How much public hunting land is in Renville County?
4,665 of the county's 631,742 acres are public land open to the public (0.7%). 4,547 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Renville County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,545 | 0.4% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,984 | 0.3% |
| State parks | 118 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 15 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,665 | 0.7% |
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 Renville County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Renville County Waterfowl Production Area (1,984 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Renville County?
15, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Falls WMA | 446 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Chetomba Creek WMA | 322 | |
| Whispering Ridge WMA | 269 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Cold Springs WMA | 259 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Granite Prairie WMA | 192 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Boon Lake WMA | 186 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Sacred Heart WMA | 141 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Schmalz WMA | 120 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Winfield WMA | 108 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Trongard WMA | 100 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Rosaasen Slough WMA | 93 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Boon Lake Slough WMA | 89 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Fred J. Roeck/Hugh C. Becker WMA | 81 | |
| Dybsand WMA | 78 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Daak WMA | 40 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Renville County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 1 site in Renville County, 38 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31: Renville WIA #694. DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Renville WIA #694 | 38 | 44.637, -95.1449 |
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 Renville County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Renville County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 282 (35.7% 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 282 | 35.7% | 242 | 2025 |
| DPA 281 | 26.2% | 1,343 | 2025 |
| DPA 290 | 19.7% | 1,202 | 2025 |
| DPA 284 | 18.5% | 714 | 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 Renville County?
Highways: US 212 (about 50 miles in the county), MN 4 (about 31 miles in the county), US 71 (about 26 miles in the county) and MN 19 (about 19 miles in the county). Towns: Olivia, Hector, Bird Island, Renville, Fairfax, Morton, Franklin and Sacred Heart.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Renville County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Renville County Waterfowl Production Area (1,984 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 2,545 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Renville County?
Beaver Falls WMA, with 446 acres inside the county. The county has 15 WMAs in all.
Does Renville County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 1 site and 38 acres in Renville County.
Which deer permit area is Renville County in?
DPA 282 (35.7%), DPA 281 (26.2%), DPA 290 (19.7%) and DPA 284 (18.5%). Bag limits and firearms dates follow the permit area.
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
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 282 DPA 281 DPA 290 DPA 284 Brown County McLeod County Meeker County Sibley County Redwood County Chippewa County Nicollet County Kandiyohi County Yellow Medicine County Walk-In Access