Watonwan County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Watonwan County has 2,187 acres of public land open to the public, 0.8% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (2,074 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 16 wildlife management areas here covering 1,959 acres, the largest Younger Brothers WMA (349 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 8 sites of private land open to hunters, 679 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 296 (607 deer in 2025), DPA 252 (601 deer in 2025), DPA 299 (726 deer in 2025) and DPA 253 (854 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 AccessWatonwan CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 281,475 acres (440 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 0.8% (2,187 acres) |
| WMAs | 16 (1,959 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 8 sites, 679 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 296, DPA 252, DPA 299, DPA 253 |
| Towns | St. James, Madelia, Butterfield, Odin, Truman and Comfrey |
How much public hunting land is in Watonwan County?
2,187 of the county's 281,475 acres are public land open to the public (0.8%). 2,123 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Watonwan County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,074 | 0.7% |
| County, city and regional land | 64 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 49 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,187 | 0.8% |
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.
Which wildlife management areas are in Watonwan County?
16, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Younger Brothers WMA | 349 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Mulligan Slough WMA | 235 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Ewy Lake WMA | 227 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| W. R. Taylor Memorial WMA | 218 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Bergdahl WMA | 181 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Perch Creek WMA | 159 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Fossum WMA | 139 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Curry WMA | 111 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lewisville WMA | 94 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Sulem Lake WMA | 55 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Tierney WMA | 55 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Voss WMA | 43 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Case Lake WMA | 33 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Wood Lake WMA | 28 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Rosendale WMA | 19 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Turtle WMA | 13 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Watonwan County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 8 sites in Watonwan County, 679 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Watonwan WIA #639 (428 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Watonwan WIA #639 | 428 | 44.0139, -94.4039 |
| Watonwan WIA #1098 | 60 | 43.9241, -94.4048 |
| Watonwan WIA #581 | 56 | 44.04, -94.6422 |
| Watonwan WIA #1017 | 49 | 43.8608, -94.7046 |
| Watonwan WIA #1016 | 34 | 43.8528, -94.7625 |
| Watonwan WIA #1018 | 25 | 43.8847, -94.6838 |
| Watonwan WIA #861 | 15 | 44.016, -94.7457 |
| Watonwan WIA #1013 | 12 | 43.8525, -94.766 |
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 Watonwan County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Watonwan County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 296 (48.6% 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 296 | 48.6% | 607 | 2025 |
| DPA 252 | 40.1% | 601 | 2025 |
| DPA 299 | 9.2% | 726 | 2025 |
| DPA 253 | 2% | 854 | 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 Watonwan County?
Highways: MN 60 (about 52 miles in the county), MN 30 (about 47 miles in the county), MN 4 (about 26 miles in the county) and MN 15 (about 26 miles in the county). Towns: St. James, Madelia, Butterfield, Odin, Ormsby, Lewisville, Darfur and La Salle.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Watonwan County, Minnesota?
2,187 acres, 0.8% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1.
What is the largest WMA in Watonwan County?
Younger Brothers WMA, with 349 acres inside the county. The county has 16 WMAs in all.
Does Watonwan County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 8 sites and 679 acres in Watonwan County.
Which deer permit area is Watonwan County in?
DPA 296 (48.6%), DPA 252 (40.1%), DPA 299 (9.2%) and DPA 253 (2%). 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 296 DPA 252 DPA 299 DPA 253 Brown County Martin County Jackson County Blue Earth County Cottonwood County Walk-In Access