Sibley County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Sibley County has 3,864 acres of public land open to the public, 1% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (2,478 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 18 wildlife management areas here covering 2,464 acres, the largest Indian Lake WMA (626 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 1 site of private land open to hunters, 101 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 284 (714 deer in 2025), DPA 291 (1,896 deer in 2025), DPA 290 (1,202 deer in 2025) and DPA 338 (704 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 areasWalk-In AccessSibley CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 384,395 acres (601 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 1% (3,864 acres) |
| WMAs | 18 (2,464 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 1 site, 101 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 284, DPA 291, DPA 290, DPA 338 |
| Towns | Gaylord, Arlington, Winthrop, Henderson, Le Sueur and Lafayette |
How much public hunting land is in Sibley County?
3,864 of the county's 384,395 acres are public land open to the public (1%). 3,860 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Sibley County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,478 | 0.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,381 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,864 | 1% |
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 Sibley County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Sibley County Waterfowl Production Area (1,381 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Sibley County?
18, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Lake WMA | 626 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Vale WMA | 299 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Severance Lake WMA | 294 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Bob Gehlen WMA | 178 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Altnow Marsh WMA | 147 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Proehl's Woods WMA | 134 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Arlington WMA | 124 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Revanche WMA | 114 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Grundmeyer WMA | 94 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Oak Isle WMA | 91 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Sigler WMA | 73 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Alfsborg WMA | 73 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Ward Lake WMA | 71 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Faxon WMA | 41 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Sibley WMA | 37 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Spannaus WMA | 30 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Boerner WMA | 27 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Windot WMA | 11 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Sibley County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 1 site in Sibley County, 101 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31: Sibley WIA #774. DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sibley WIA #774 | 101 | 44.6702, -94.0883 |
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 Sibley County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Sibley County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 284 (59.8% 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 284 | 59.8% | 714 | 2025 |
| DPA 291 | 24.1% | 1,896 | 2025 |
| DPA 290 | 11.7% | 1,202 | 2025 |
| DPA 338 | 4.5% | 704 | 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 Sibley County?
Highways: MN 19 (about 37 miles in the county), MN 22 (about 19 miles in the county), MN 5 (about 18 miles in the county), MN 25 (about 16 miles in the county) and MN 15 (about 12 miles in the county). Towns: Gaylord, Arlington, Winthrop, Henderson, Green Isle, New Auburn and Gibbon.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Sibley County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Sibley County Waterfowl Production Area (1,381 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 2,478 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Sibley County?
Indian Lake WMA, with 626 acres inside the county. The county has 18 WMAs in all.
Does Sibley County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 1 site and 101 acres in Sibley County.
Which deer permit area is Sibley County in?
DPA 284 (59.8%), DPA 291 (24.1%), DPA 290 (11.7%) and DPA 338 (4.5%). 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 284 DPA 291 DPA 290 DPA 338 Scott County Carver County McLeod County Le Sueur County Nicollet County Renville County Walk-In Access