Barrett Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Barrett Wildlife Management Area is 393 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Grant County, near Barrett, inside Deer Permit Area 273. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,013 deer in DPA 273 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasBarrett WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 393 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Grant County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 273 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Barrett |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Barrett (2 mi), Hoffman (4 mi) and Elbow Lake (9 mi) |
What is Barrett WMA like?
This WMA straddles the Pomme de Terre River, just south of the City of Barrett. The Barrett WMA supports mostly Grassland and Wetland habitat.
The restored grasslands on the Barrett WMA are a mix of native grasses and flowers. The grasslands are managed using prescribed burning and rotational haying. The wetland habitat on this WMA is mostly dense stands of cattails along both sides of the Pomme de Terre River. There is a 4 acre woody cover planting near the south end of the Barrett WMA. This planting as well as the cattails provide cover for wintering wildlife, especially pheasants.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Barrett WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Barrett WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Barrett WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Barrett WMA?
Barrett WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 273. The DNR registered 1,013 deer in DPA 273 in 2025, against 978 in 2024.
| DPA | Barrett WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 273 | 393 | 1,013 | 978 | 968 |
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 Barrett WMA?
From Barrett, go 2 miles S on US 59.
Nearest towns: Barrett (2 miles), Hoffman (4 miles), Elbow Lake (9 miles) and Kensington (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 59, MN 55, MN 27 and MN 54.
What other public land is near Barrett WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Isaacson WMA: 41 acres, next to it
- Jenson WMA: 112 acres, 5 miles away
- Alvstad WMA: 118 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Red Rock Lake WMA: 167 acres, 6 miles away
- Chippewa Pond WMA: 173 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Strom-Bordson WMA: 35 acres, 6.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Barrett WMA
Counting Barrett WMA itself, 1,402 of the 26,227 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 963 |
| State wildlife management areas | 439 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Barrett WMA?
In Grant County, near Barrett. The DNR's directions: From Barrett, go 2 miles S on US 59.
Which deer permit area is Barrett WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 273. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Barrett WMA?
1,402 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Barrett WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Isaacson WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Barrett 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.