Bashaw Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Bashaw Wildlife Management Area is 586 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Brown County, near Comfrey, inside Deer Permit Area 296. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants and small game for it. Hunters registered 607 deer in DPA 296 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 AccessBashaw WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 586 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Brown County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 296 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Comfrey |
| DNR area office | New Ulm |
| Nearest towns | Comfrey (3 mi), Springfield (6 mi) and Darfur (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Bashaw WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants and small game for Bashaw WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Bashaw WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Bashaw WMA?
Bashaw WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 296. The DNR registered 607 deer in DPA 296 in 2025, against 642 in 2024.
| DPA | Bashaw WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 296 | 586 | 607 | 642 | 642 |
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 Bashaw WMA?
From Comfrey, go 2 1/2 miles N on SH 258, 1 mile W on CSAH 20.
Nearest towns: Comfrey (3 miles), Springfield (6 miles), Darfur (8 miles) and Cobden (9 miles). 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Bashaw WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Terri WMA: 74 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Riecks Slough WMA: 131 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Vogel WMA: 166 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Wood Lake WMA: 805 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Middle Creek WMA: 71 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Rock Ridge WMA: 158 acres, 5.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bashaw WMA
Counting Bashaw WMA itself, 792 of the 30,574 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 792 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bashaw WMA?
In Brown County, near Comfrey. The DNR's directions: From Comfrey, go 2 1/2 miles N on SH 258, 1 mile W on CSAH 20.
Which deer permit area is Bashaw WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 296. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Bashaw WMA?
792 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bashaw WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Terri WMA (0.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Bashaw 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.