Byholt Marsh Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Byholt Marsh Wildlife Management Area is 283 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Chippewa County, near Montevideo, inside Deer Permit Areas 282 and 278. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 242 deer in DPA 282 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 AccessByholt Marsh WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 283 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Chippewa County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 282, DPA 278 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Montevideo |
| DNR area office | New London |
| Nearest towns | Watson (5 mi), Montevideo (7 mi) and Milan (10 mi) |
What is Byholt Marsh WMA like?
This subunit lies on the silty clay loam soils in the gently rolling topography of SW Chippewa County. This unit, known as the Boike Tract, consists of 13 acres of old CRP, native grass and flower nesting cover; 4 acres of planted woody cover (still immature) for winter cover; 10 acres of seeded native plant nesting cover, and 11 acres of cattail marsh.
Nearly half of this tract is part of a larger, open water wetland with a wide cattail fringe. Of the balance, 27 acres has been planted with a mixture of native grasses and flowers for nesting cover and the remainder is deciduous brush and trees. A large parking area is located at the west end of the unit off of MN Hwy. 29. A parking area has been developed at the NW corner of this tract.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Byholt Marsh WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Byholt Marsh WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Byholt Marsh WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Byholt Marsh WMA?
Byholt Marsh WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 242 deer in DPA 282 in 2025, against 217 in 2024.
| DPA | Byholt Marsh WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 282 | 243 | 242 | 217 | 209 |
| DPA 278 | 40 | 639 | 624 | 580 |
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 Byholt Marsh WMA?
From the junction of Hwy 7 and 29 in Montevideo, travel north on Hwy. 29 a distance of 8 mi to the unit on the east side of the road. From the junction of Hwy 7 and 29 in Montevideo, travel north on Hwy. 29 a distance of 7 mi to the unit on the west side of the road.
Nearest towns: Watson (5 miles), Montevideo (7 miles), Milan (10 miles) and Danvers (15 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 29, US 59 and MN 7. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Byholt Marsh WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Numo WMA: 207 acres, next to it
- Tunsberg WMA: 81 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Bergo WMA: 189 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Lac qui Parle WMA: 33,602 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Benderberg WMA: 427 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Clair T. Rollings Chippewa Co. WMA: 121 acres, 4.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Byholt Marsh WMA
Counting Byholt Marsh WMA itself, 573 of the 26,867 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 573 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Byholt Marsh WMA?
In Chippewa County, near Montevideo. The DNR's directions: From the junction of Hwy 7 and 29 in Montevideo, travel north on Hwy. 29 a distance of 8 mi to the unit on the east side of the road. From the junction of Hwy 7 and 29 in Montevideo, travel north on Hwy. 29 a distance of 7 mi to the unit on the west side of the road.
Which deer permit area is Byholt Marsh WMA in?
DPA 282 (243 acres) and DPA 278 (40 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Byholt Marsh WMA?
573 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Byholt Marsh WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Numo WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Byholt Marsh 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).
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