25th Anniversary Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
25th Anniversary Wildlife Management Area is 329 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, near Madison, inside Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's wildlife management area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasWalk-In Access25th Anniversary WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 329 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 280 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Madison |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Madison (2 mi), Dawson (6 mi) and Bellingham (12 mi) |
What is 25th Anniversary WMA like?
This WMA is dominated by a prairie reconstructions and restored wetlands, providing nesting, brood and feeding cover for pheasants, deer and ducks.
Aside from the extensive prairie reconstructions and small wetlands throughout the unit, there is a box elder/ash grove with an adjacent food plot in the NE portion of the unit. A designated parking area is located in the SW corner of the unit.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on 25th Anniversary WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game for 25th Anniversary WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on 25th Anniversary WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around 25th Anniversary WMA?
25th Anniversary WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025, against 359 in 2024.
| DPA | 25th Anniversary WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 329 | 329 | 359 | 308 |
Harvest for the whole deer permit area, not the WMA alone: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
How do you get to 25th Anniversary WMA?
From Madison, go 2 miles S on US Highway 75, then go 1.5 miles E on township road to the WMA on the left.
Nearest towns: Madison (2 miles), Dawson (6 miles), Bellingham (12 miles) and Louisburg (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 75, MN 40 and US 212. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near 25th Anniversary WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Sioux Reservation Line WMA: 34 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Hamlin WMA: 318 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Kemen WMA: 209 acres, 4 miles away
- Madison WMA: 228 acres, 4 miles away
- Lillejord WMA: 94 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Madrena WMA: 306 acres, 4.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of 25th Anniversary WMA
Counting 25th Anniversary WMA itself, 364 of the 24,191 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 364 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is 25th Anniversary WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, near Madison. The DNR's directions: From Madison, go 2 miles S on US Highway 75, then go 1.5 miles E on township road to the WMA on the left.
Which deer permit area is 25th Anniversary WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 280. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around 25th Anniversary WMA?
364 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, 25th Anniversary WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Sioux Reservation Line WMA (1.1 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, 25th Anniversary WMA; Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.