Caerulean Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Caerulean Wildlife Management Area is 264 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, near Bellingham, inside Deer Permit Area 278. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 639 deer in DPA 278 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 areasCaerulean WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 264 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 278 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Bellingham |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Bellingham (2 mi), Nassau (6 mi) and Marietta (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Caerulean WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Caerulean WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Caerulean WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Caerulean WMA?
Caerulean WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 278. The DNR registered 639 deer in DPA 278 in 2025, against 624 in 2024.
| DPA | Caerulean WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 278 | 264 | 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 Caerulean WMA?
From Bellingham,.75 miles S on US 75, 2.5 miles W on 320th St. From Bellingham, 1 1/2 mile S on US 75, 1 1/2 miles W on 310th St.
Nearest towns: Bellingham (2 miles), Nassau (6 miles), Marietta (8 miles) and Louisburg (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 75.
What other public land is near Caerulean WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Kibler WMA: 541 acres, next to it
- Perry WMA: 212 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Quilitz WMA: 383 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Walter WMA: 510 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Borchardt -Rosin WMA: 258 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Madrena WMA: 306 acres, 5.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Caerulean WMA
Counting Caerulean WMA itself, 1,314 of the 25,666 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,314 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Caerulean WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, near Bellingham. The DNR's directions: From Bellingham,.75 miles S on US 75, 2.5 miles W on 320th St. From Bellingham, 1 1/2 mile S on US 75, 1 1/2 miles W on 310th St.
Which deer permit area is Caerulean WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 278. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Caerulean WMA?
1,314 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Caerulean WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Kibler WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Caerulean 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.