Bench Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Bench Wildlife Management Area is 614 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Swift County, near Benson, inside Deer Permit Area 277. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,575 deer in DPA 277 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 areasOther federal landCounty, city and regional landBench WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 614 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Swift County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 277 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Benson |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Benson (4 mi), De Graff (5 mi) and Clontarf (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Bench WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Bench WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Bench WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Bench WMA?
Bench WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 277. The DNR registered 4,575 deer in DPA 277 in 2025, against 4,301 in 2024.
| DPA | Bench WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 277 | 614 | 4,575 | 4,301 | 4,013 |
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 Bench WMA?
From Benson, go 2 miles E on SH 9 then 2.5 miles N on CSAH 25 then.5 miles E on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Benson (4 miles), De Graff (5 miles), Clontarf (7 miles) and Murdock (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 9, MN 29 and US 12.
What other public land is near Bench WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Henry X WMA: 194 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Hollerberg Lake WMA: 160 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Camp Kerk WMA: 1,110 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Clair Rollings WMA: 534 acres, 5.3 miles away
- Hoff WMA: 81 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Danvers WMA: 3,032 acres, 7.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bench WMA
Counting Bench WMA itself, 3,438 of the 37,097 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,661 |
| State wildlife management areas | 767 |
| County, city and regional land | 9 |
| Other federal land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bench WMA?
In Swift County, near Benson. The DNR's directions: From Benson, go 2 miles E on SH 9 then 2.5 miles N on CSAH 25 then.5 miles E on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Bench WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 277. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Bench WMA?
3,438 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bench WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Henry X WMA (2.4 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Bench 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.