Rock County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Rock County has 3,962 acres of public land open to the public, 1.3% of the county, the largest share state parks (1,587 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 9 wildlife management areas here covering 1,122 acres, the largest Rock River WMA (413 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 8 sites of private land open to hunters, 732 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessRock CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 308,965 acres (483 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 1.3% (3,962 acres) |
| WMAs | 9 (1,122 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 8 sites, 732 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 234 |
| Towns | Luverne, Hardwick, Kenneth, Jasper, Ellsworth and Edgerton |
How much public hunting land is in Rock County?
3,962 of the county's 308,965 acres are public land open to the public (1.3%). 2,315 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Rock County |
|---|---|---|
| State parks | 1,587 | 0.5% |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,162 | 0.4% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,153 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 60 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,962 | 1.3% |
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 Rock County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (1,153 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Rock County?
9, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Rock River WMA | 413 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Russ Blanford WMA | 154 | deer, wild turkey and pheasants |
| Springwater WMA | 152 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Rooster Ridge WMA | 93 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| P.F. Mulder WMA | 88 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Smiley Barn WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Big John's WMA | 66 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Little Beaver Creek WMA | 55 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Stephen WMA | 20 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Rock County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 8 sites in Rock County, 732 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Rock WIA #857 (171 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Rock WIA #857 | 171 | 43.7112, -96.0793 |
| Rock WIA #955 | 152 | 43.7346, -96.1572 |
| Rock WIA #859 | 92 | 43.7133, -96.0976 |
| Rock WIA #854 | 89 | 43.6055, -96.1989 |
| Rock WIA #868 | 73 | 43.6272, -96.1081 |
| Rock WIA #1000 | 60 | 43.7133, -96.0621 |
| Rock WIA #852 | 53 | 43.6707, -96.1706 |
| Rock WIA #945 | 42 | 43.6132, -96.1351 |
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 Rock County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Rock County lies in 1 permit area; the largest share is in DPA 234 (99.9% 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 234 | 99.9% | 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 Rock County?
Highways: I-90 (about 41 miles in the county), US 75 (about 25 miles in the county), MN 23 (about 17 miles in the county) and MN 270 (about 8 miles in the county). Towns: Luverne, Hardwick, Kenneth, Jasper, Magnolia, Hills, Beaver Creek and Steen.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Rock County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (1,153 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state parks, 1,587 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Rock County?
Rock River WMA, with 413 acres inside the county. The county has 9 WMAs in all.
Does Rock County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 8 sites and 732 acres in Rock County.
Which deer permit area is Rock County in?
All of it that matters is DPA 234.
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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 234 Murray County Nobles County Pipestone County Walk-In Access