Wilkin County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Wilkin County has 11,568 acres of public land open to the public, 2.4% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (8,206 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 6 wildlife management areas here covering 8,162 acres, the largest Rothsay WMA (4,085 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 20 sites of private land open to hunters, 2,720 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 270 (330 deer in 2025), DPA 269 (464 deer in 2025), DPA 671 (446 deer in 2025) and DPA 239 (3,595 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 AccessWilkin CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 480,747 acres (751 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2.4% (11,568 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (8,162 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 20 sites, 2,720 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 270, DPA 269, DPA 671, DPA 239 |
| Towns | Nashua, Breckenridge, Rothsay, Foxhome, Tintah and Barnesville |
How much public hunting land is in Wilkin County?
11,568 of the county's 480,747 acres are public land open to the public (2.4%). 11,512 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Wilkin County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 8,206 | 1.7% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,539 | 0.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 763 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 56 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,568 | 2.4% |
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 Wilkin County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Wilkin County Waterfowl Production Area (2,539 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Wilkin County?
6, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Rothsay WMA | 4,085 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Manston Marsh WMA | 2,731 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Rogelstad Swanson WMA | 632 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Atherton WMA | 523 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Andrea WMA | 110 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Akron WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Wilkin County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 20 sites in Wilkin County, 2,720 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Wilkin WIA #315 (439 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkin WIA #315 | 439 | 46.5617, -96.3774 |
| Wilkin WIA #313 | 389 | 46.5613, -96.4336 |
| Wilkin WIA #412 | 306 | 46.5042, -96.6033 |
| Wilkin WIA #965 | 173 | 46.5768, -96.369 |
| Wilkin WIA #306 | 154 | 46.4452, -96.493 |
| Wilkin WIA #1041 | 153 | 46.4095, -96.3593 |
| Wilkin WIA #1023 | 145 | 46.5547, -96.5145 |
| Wilkin WIA #309 | 143 | 46.1769, -96.5079 |
| Wilkin WIA #826 | 119 | 46.4973, -96.3805 |
| Wilkin WIA #307 | 117 | 46.4508, -96.5024 |
| Wilkin WIA #644 | 95 | 46.4602, -96.5061 |
| Wilkin WIA #1030 | 86 | 46.4604, -96.3402 |
| Wilkin WIA #420 | 86 | 46.5818, -96.3878 |
| Wilkin WIA #831 | 60 | 46.5799, -96.3825 |
| Wilkin WIA #1031 | 52 | 46.4542, -96.3418 |
| Wilkin WIA #421 | 48 | 46.5701, -96.7094 |
| Wilkin WIA #760 | 46 | 46.5822, -96.3848 |
| Wilkin WIA #317 | 40 | 46.4953, -96.3465 |
| Wilkin WIA #1008 | 36 | 46.4156, -96.3253 |
| Wilkin WIA #419 | 33 | 46.5632, -96.3672 |
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 Wilkin County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Wilkin County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 270 (64.5% 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 270 | 64.5% | 330 | 2025 |
| DPA 269 | 30.4% | 464 | 2025 |
| DPA 671 | 2.7% | 446 | 2025 |
| DPA 239 | 2.4% | 3,595 | 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 Wilkin County?
Highways: MN 9 (about 48 miles in the county), US 75 (about 47 miles in the county), I-94 (about 22 miles in the county), US 52 (about 22 miles in the county) and MN 210 (about 16 miles in the county). Towns: Nashua, Breckenridge, Rothsay, Foxhome, Wolverton, Kent, Campbell and Doran.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Wilkin County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Wilkin County Waterfowl Production Area (2,539 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 8,206 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Wilkin County?
Rothsay WMA, with 4,085 acres inside the county. The county has 6 WMAs in all.
Does Wilkin County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 20 sites and 2,720 acres in Wilkin County.
Which deer permit area is Wilkin County in?
DPA 270 (64.5%), DPA 269 (30.4%), DPA 671 (2.7%) and DPA 239 (2.4%). 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 270 DPA 269 DPA 239 Clay County Grant County Traverse County Otter Tail County Walk-In Access