Crane Meadows Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Crane Meadows Wildlife Management Area is 189 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Morrison County, near Buckman, inside Deer Permit Area 221. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,908 deer in DPA 221 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 areasCrane Meadows WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 189 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Morrison County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 221 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Buckman |
| DNR area office | Little Falls |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Buckman (5 mi), Genola (5 mi) and Pierz (6 mi) |
What is Crane Meadows WMA like?
This WMA is mostly lowland grass and brush with limited upland wooded areas of oak-aspen. Buckman Creek flows through this unit.
Management of this unit focuses on maintaining and improving the habitat for a diversity of native plants and wildlife, with emphasis on wetland, grassland, and to a lesser extent forested habitats. Water access off township road onto Buckman Creek.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Crane Meadows WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Crane Meadows WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Crane Meadows WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Crane Meadows WMA: Limited access with one parking area on the northwest end of the WMA. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on designated routes and parking lots. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles are prohibited anywhere on the WMA.
How many deer are taken around Crane Meadows WMA?
Crane Meadows WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 221. The DNR registered 4,908 deer in DPA 221 in 2025, against 4,438 in 2024.
| DPA | Crane Meadows WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 221 | 189 | 4,908 | 4,438 | 4,050 |
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 Crane Meadows WMA?
From Buckman, go 4 miles west on County Road 34, then 1 mile north on County Road 36, then 1 mile west on township road.
Nearest towns: Buckman (5 miles), Genola (5 miles), Pierz (6 miles) and Royalton (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 25 and MN 27.
What other public land is near Crane Meadows WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Rice-Skunk WMA: 665 acres, next to it
- Rice Area Sportsmens Club WMA: 580 acres, 2 miles away
- Coon Lake Marsh WMA: 54 acres, 4.3 miles away
- McDougall WMA: 472 acres, 7.2 miles away
- Sartell WMA: 368 acres, 7.4 miles away
- Ereaux WMA: 731 acres, 7.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Crane Meadows WMA
Counting Crane Meadows WMA itself, 2,808 of the 23,176 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,570 |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,238 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Crane Meadows WMA?
In Morrison County, near Buckman. The DNR's directions: From Buckman, go 4 miles west on County Road 34, then 1 mile north on County Road 36, then 1 mile west on township road.
Which deer permit area is Crane Meadows WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 221. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Crane Meadows WMA?
2,808 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Crane Meadows WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Rice-Skunk WMA (next to it).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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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, Crane Meadows 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.