Stevens County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Stevens County has 13,645 acres of public land open to the public, 3.7% of the county, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (9,871 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 26 wildlife management areas here covering 3,450 acres, the largest Alberta WMA (463 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 6 sites of private land open to hunters, 424 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 275 (997 deer in 2025), DPA 272 (366 deer in 2025) and DPA 273 (1,013 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 areasCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessStevens CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 368,199 acres (575 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 3.7% (13,645 acres) |
| WMAs | 26 (3,450 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 6 sites, 424 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 275, DPA 272, DPA 273 |
| Towns | Morris, Donnelly, Hancock, Chokio, Cyrus and Johnson |
How much public hunting land is in Stevens County?
13,645 of the county's 368,199 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). 13,349 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Stevens County |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 9,871 | 2.7% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,452 | 0.9% |
| County, city and regional land | 296 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 26 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 13,645 | 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 Stevens County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Stevens County Waterfowl Production Area (9,798 acres) and Pomme De Terre Park (258 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Stevens County?
26, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta WMA | 463 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Bill Freeman WMA | 322 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Eldorado WMA | 300 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Dolven WMA | 269 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Benson WMA | 234 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| John A. Scharf Memorial WMA | 209 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Everglade Marshes WMA | 181 | ducks and geese |
| Horning Pit WMA | 164 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Orville Erickson WMA | 160 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Klason WMA | 137 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Cin WMA | 132 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Selk WMA | 92 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Eul WMA | 90 | pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Muddy Creek WMA | 89 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Old Gravel Pit WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Coleman WMA | 78 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Robertson WMA | 76 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Thedin WMA | 61 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Brouillet WMA | 50 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Mathison WMA | 47 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Weiler WMA | 47 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Dablow WMA | 42 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Kline WMA | 40 | ducks and geese |
| Hennen WMA | 35 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Reimers WMA | 26 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Boekholt Grove WMA | 25 | deer, pheasants and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Stevens County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 6 sites in Stevens County, 424 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Stevens WIA #791 (115 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Stevens WIA #791 | 115 | 45.6054, -95.8048 |
| Stevens WIA #369 | 112 | 45.5811, -96.1965 |
| Stevens WIA #877 | 76 | 45.4965, -96.2357 |
| Stevens WIA #876 | 49 | 45.473, -96.2342 |
| Stevens WIA #1061 | 39 | 45.74, -96.1692 |
| Stevens WIA #1050 | 33 | 45.5559, -96.2379 |
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 Stevens County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Stevens County lies in 3 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 275 (49.2% 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 275 | 49.2% | 997 | 2025 |
| DPA 272 | 39.9% | 366 | 2025 |
| DPA 273 | 10.8% | 1,013 | 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 Stevens County?
Highways: MN 9 (about 27 miles in the county), MN 28 (about 25 miles in the county) and US 59 (about 24 miles in the county). Towns: Morris, Donnelly, Hancock, Chokio and Alberta.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Stevens County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Stevens County Waterfowl Production Area (9,798 acres in the county) and Pomme De Terre Park (258 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas, 9,871 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Stevens County?
Alberta WMA, with 463 acres inside the county. The county has 26 WMAs in all.
Does Stevens County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 6 sites and 424 acres in Stevens County.
Which deer permit area is Stevens County in?
DPA 275 (49.2%), DPA 272 (39.9%) and DPA 273 (10.8%). 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 275 DPA 272 DPA 273 Pope County Grant County Swift County Douglas County Traverse County Big Stone County Walk-In Access