Bluff Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Bluff Creek Wildlife Management Area is 404 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Otter Tail County, near New York Mills, inside Deer Permit Area 241. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 7,163 deer in DPA 241 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 areasBluff Creek WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 404 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Otter Tail County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 241 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | New York Mills |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | New York Mills (7 mi), Sebeka (11 mi) and Bluffton (11 mi) |
What can you hunt on Bluff Creek WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Bluff Creek WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Bluff Creek WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Bluff Creek WMA?
Bluff Creek WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 241. The DNR registered 7,163 deer in DPA 241 in 2025, against 6,563 in 2024.
| DPA | Bluff Creek WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 241 | 404 | 7,163 | 6,563 | 6,052 |
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 Bluff Creek WMA?
From New York Mills, go 8 miles N on CSAH 67 then 2 miles E on CSAH 8.
Access via 2 parking areas. One is on the north side off of Hwy 8, and the other is off 450th St. in the SW corner of the unit.
Nearest towns: New York Mills (7 miles), Sebeka (11 miles), Bluffton (11 miles) and Perham (12 miles).
What other public land is near Bluff Creek WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Butler WMA: 71 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Homestead WMA: 44 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Windy Lake WMA: 40 acres, 6.5 miles away
- Perham WMA: 314 acres, 6.5 miles away
- Wood Eye WMA: 253 acres, 7.9 miles away
- Rockwood WMA: 194 acres, 8.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bluff Creek WMA
Counting Bluff Creek WMA itself, 871 of the 25,384 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 466 |
| State wildlife management areas | 405 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bluff Creek WMA?
In Otter Tail County, near New York Mills. The DNR's directions: From New York Mills, go 8 miles N on CSAH 67 then 2 miles E on CSAH 8.
Which deer permit area is Bluff Creek WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 241. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Bluff Creek WMA?
871 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bluff Creek WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Butler WMA (4.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Bluff Creek 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.