Baxter Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Baxter Wildlife Management Area is 346 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, near Dawson, inside Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese 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 areasState parksWalk-In AccessBaxter WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 346 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 280 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Dawson |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Dawson (5 mi), Watson (7 mi) and Boyd (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Baxter WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Baxter WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Baxter WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Baxter WMA?
Baxter WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025, against 359 in 2024.
| DPA | Baxter WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 346 | 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 Baxter WMA?
From Dawson, go 5 miles E on US 212, 2 miles N on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Dawson (5 miles), Watson (7 miles), Boyd (8 miles) and Milan (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 212 and MN 275.
What other public land is near Baxter WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Michaelson WMA: 31 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Sioux Indian WMA: 64 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Lac qui Parle WMA: 33,602 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Dawson WMA: 27 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Ten-Well WMA: 175 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Riverside WMA: 146 acres, 5.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Baxter WMA
Counting Baxter WMA itself, 403 of the 26,225 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 | 403 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Baxter WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, near Dawson. The DNR's directions: From Dawson, go 5 miles E on US 212, 2 miles N on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Baxter WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 280. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Baxter WMA?
403 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Baxter WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Michaelson WMA (2.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Baxter 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.