Cotton-Jack Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Cotton-Jack Wildlife Management Area is 254 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Jackson County, near Heron Lake, inside Deer Permit Area 238. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 114 deer in DPA 238 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 areasCotton-Jack WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 254 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 238 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Heron Lake |
| DNR area office | Windom |
| Nearest towns | Dundee (3 mi), Kinbrae (4 mi) and Heron Lake (4 mi) |
What can you hunt on Cotton-Jack WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Cotton-Jack WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Cotton-Jack WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Cotton-Jack WMA?
Cotton-Jack WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 238. The DNR registered 114 deer in DPA 238 in 2025, against 104 in 2024.
| DPA | Cotton-Jack WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 238 | 254 | 114 | 104 | 116 |
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 Cotton-Jack WMA?
From Heron Lake, go 2 miles W on CSAH 24 then 4 1/4 miles N and W on CSAH 7.
Nearest towns: Dundee (3 miles), Kinbrae (4 miles), Heron Lake (4 miles) and Okabena (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 62 and MN 60.
What other public land is near Cotton-Jack WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Voit WMA: 47 acres, next to it
- Talcot Lake WMA: 5,319 acres, next to it
- Winkler WMA: 119 acres, 2 miles away
- Crosse WMA: 67 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Libra WMA: 29 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Pats Pasture WMA: 318 acres, 3.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Cotton-Jack WMA
Counting Cotton-Jack WMA itself, 2,728 of the 25,697 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,311 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 417 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Cotton-Jack WMA?
In Jackson County, near Heron Lake. The DNR's directions: From Heron Lake, go 2 miles W on CSAH 24 then 4 1/4 miles N and W on CSAH 7.
Which deer permit area is Cotton-Jack WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 238. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Cotton-Jack WMA?
2,728 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Cotton-Jack WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Voit WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Cotton-Jack 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.