Chandler Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Chandler Wildlife Management Area is 409 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Murray County, near Chandler, inside Deer Permit Area 295. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 904 deer in DPA 295 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 AccessChandler WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 409 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Murray County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 295 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Chandler |
| DNR area office | Slayton-Talcot Lake |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Chandler (next to it), Lake Wilson (2 mi) and Hadley (5 mi) |
What is Chandler WMA like?
This WMA is mainly a large permanent marsh with some associated uplands that contain food plots, nesting cover, and woody cover plantings.
A remote esker in the central portion of the unit contains native prairie.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Chandler WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Chandler WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Chandler WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Chandler WMA: Portions of the marsh are privately owned.
How many deer are taken around Chandler WMA?
Chandler WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 295. The DNR registered 904 deer in DPA 295 in 2025, against 835 in 2024.
| DPA | Chandler WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 295 | 409 | 904 | 835 | 827 |
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 Chandler WMA?
From Chandler, go 1 mile east on County Road 4 and 1½ miles north on a township road. This unit is adjacent to the east edge of the city limits of Chandler.
Nearest towns: Chandler (next to it), Lake Wilson (2 miles), Hadley (5 miles) and Iona (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 91 and MN 30.
What other public land is near Chandler WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Carlson WMA: 26 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Dierenfield WMA: 56 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Humphery WMA: 82 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Leeds WMA: 154 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Peters WMA: 206 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Henry Vos WMA: 140 acres, 3.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Chandler WMA
Counting Chandler WMA itself, 589 of the 29,188 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 589 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Chandler WMA?
In Murray County, near Chandler. The DNR's directions: From Chandler, go 1 mile east on County Road 4 and 1½ miles north on a township road. This unit is adjacent to the east edge of the city limits of Chandler.
Which deer permit area is Chandler WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 295. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Chandler WMA?
589 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Chandler WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Carlson WMA (1.6 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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, Chandler 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.