Swift County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Swift County has 20,511 acres of public land open to the public, 4.3% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (11,511 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 15 wildlife management areas here covering 11,405 acres, the largest Lac qui Parle WMA (4,553 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 2 sites of private land open to hunters, 280 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 275 (997 deer in 2025), DPA 282 (242 deer in 2025), DPA 277 (4,575 deer in 2025) and DPA 278 (639 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 AccessSwift CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 481,399 acres (752 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 4.3% (20,511 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (11,405 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 2 sites, 280 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 275, DPA 282, DPA 277, DPA 278 |
| Towns | Benson, Clontarf, Appleton, Holloway, Sunburg and Correll |
How much public hunting land is in Swift County?
20,511 of the county's 481,399 acres are public land open to the public (4.3%). 20,240 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Swift County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 11,511 | 2.4% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 8,723 | 1.8% |
| State parks | 176 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 95 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 6 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 20,511 | 4.3% |
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 Swift County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Swift County Waterfowl Production Area (8,662 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Swift County?
15, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Lac qui Parle WMA | 4,553 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Danvers WMA | 3,032 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Camp Kerk WMA | 1,110 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Bench WMA | 614 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Clair Rollings WMA | 534 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Persen WMA | 227 | deer, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Byrne Lake WMA | 217 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Monson WMA | 209 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Jossart WMA | 201 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Henry X WMA | 194 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Ehrenberg WMA | 168 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Hollerberg Lake WMA | 160 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Tjosaas WMA | 98 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Shible WMA | 47 | deer, ducks and geese and ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds |
| Hayes-myhre WMA | 41 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Swift County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 2 sites in Swift County, 280 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Swift WIA #432 (233 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Swift WIA #432 | 233 | 45.1893, -95.9245 |
| Swift WIA #699 | 47 | 45.1934, -96.0969 |
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 Swift County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Swift County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 275 (57.4% 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 | 57.4% | 997 | 2025 |
| DPA 282 | 26.2% | 242 | 2025 |
| DPA 277 | 13.9% | 4,575 | 2025 |
| DPA 278 | 2.6% | 639 | 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 Swift County?
Highways: US 12 (about 47 miles in the county), MN 9 (about 27 miles in the county), US 59 (about 23 miles in the county), MN 29 (about 19 miles in the county) and MN 119 (about 10 miles in the county). Towns: Benson, Clontarf, Appleton, Holloway, Kerkhoven, De Graff, Danvers and Murdock.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Swift County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Swift County Waterfowl Production Area (8,662 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 11,511 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Swift County?
Lac qui Parle WMA, with 4,553 acres inside the county. The county has 15 WMAs in all.
Does Swift County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 2 sites and 280 acres in Swift County.
Which deer permit area is Swift County in?
DPA 275 (57.4%), DPA 282 (26.2%), DPA 277 (13.9%) and DPA 278 (2.6%). 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 282 DPA 277 DPA 278 Pope County Stevens County Chippewa County Big Stone County Kandiyohi County Lac qui Parle County Walk-In Access