Coot Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Coot Wildlife Management Area is 348 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lincoln County, near Arco, inside Deer Permit Area 286. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 588 deer in DPA 286 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 areasWalk-In AccessCoot WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 348 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lincoln County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 286 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Arco |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Arco (next to it), Ivanhoe (4 mi) and Tyler (9 mi) |
What can you hunt on Coot WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Coot WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Coot WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Coot WMA?
Coot WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 286. The DNR registered 588 deer in DPA 286 in 2025, against 497 in 2024.
| DPA | Coot WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 286 | 348 | 588 | 497 | 436 |
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 Coot WMA?
From Arco, go 2 1/2 miles N on CSAH 7 then 3/4 mile W on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Arco (next to it), Ivanhoe (4 miles), Tyler (9 miles) and Lake Benton (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 19 and US 75. 7 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Coot WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Thostenson WMA: 161 acres, next to it
- Rogge WMA: 105 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Spanton WMA: 48 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Chain-O-Sloughs WMA: 281 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Salix WMA: 86 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Rost WMA: 250 acres, 3.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Coot WMA
Counting Coot WMA itself, 1,117 of the 25,526 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 912 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 205 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Coot WMA?
In Lincoln County, near Arco. The DNR's directions: From Arco, go 2 1/2 miles N on CSAH 7 then 3/4 mile W on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Coot WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 286. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Coot WMA?
1,117 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Coot WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Thostenson WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Coot 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.