Carex Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Carex Wildlife Management Area is 332 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Freeborn County, near Moscow, inside Deer Permit Area 254. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,373 deer in DPA 254 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 forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasCounty, city and regional landCarex WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 332 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Freeborn County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 254 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Moscow |
| DNR area office | Owatonna |
| Nearest towns | Mapleview (5 mi), Austin (6 mi) and Lansing (6 mi) |
What is Carex WMA like?
The topography of this WMA is gently rolling with a large cattail marsh and shrub swamp on the eastern and northern sides of the unit. The WMA is dotted with numerous small marshes. Uplands consist of a mixture of grasslands and woodlands.
Management aims are to conserve wetland, grassland and oak/hickory habitats. Additional prairie and wetland restoration opportunities exist. The varied habitats on this WMA offer good wildlife viewing opportunities year-round. This unit receives heavy hunting pressure. Most commonly sought quarry includes waterfowl, deer, squirrels, rabbits and wild turkey.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Carex WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Carex WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Carex WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Carex WMA?
Carex WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 254. The DNR registered 1,373 deer in DPA 254 in 2025, against 1,340 in 2024.
| DPA | Carex WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 254 | 332 | 1,373 | 1,340 | 1,346 |
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 Carex WMA?
From Moscow, go 1/2 mile E on CSAH 25, 0.6 mile N on Twp Rd. A small parking area is on the east side of the road.
Nearest towns: Mapleview (5 miles), Austin (6 miles), Lansing (6 miles) and Hollandale (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-90, US 218, MN 251 and MN 105.
What other public land is near Carex WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Schrafel WMA: 33 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Wo Wacintanka WMA: 558 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Ramsey Mill Pond WMA: 395 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Lyle-austin WMA: 115 acres, 7 miles away
- Mentel WMA: 37 acres, 8.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Carex WMA
Counting Carex WMA itself, 629 of the 24,781 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 332 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 297 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Carex WMA?
In Freeborn County, near Moscow. The DNR's directions: From Moscow, go 1/2 mile E on CSAH 25, 0.6 mile N on Twp Rd. A small parking area is on the east side of the road.
Which deer permit area is Carex WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 254. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Carex WMA?
629 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Carex WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 5 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Schrafel WMA (3.7 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Carex 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.