Danvers Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Danvers Wildlife Management Area is 3,032 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Swift County, near Benson, inside Deer Permit Area 275. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 997 deer in DPA 275 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 areasCounty, city and regional landDanvers WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,032 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Swift County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 275 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Benson |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Danvers (2 mi), Clontarf (4 mi) and Benson (4 mi) |
What can you hunt on Danvers WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Danvers WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Danvers WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Danvers WMA?
Danvers WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 275. The DNR registered 997 deer in DPA 275 in 2025, against 880 in 2024.
| DPA | Danvers WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 275 | 3,032 | 997 | 880 | 775 |
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 Danvers WMA?
From Benson, go 6 miles W on CSAH 20.
Nearest towns: Danvers (2 miles), Clontarf (4 miles), Benson (4 miles) and Holloway (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 12, MN 9 and MN 29.
What other public land is near Danvers WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Clair Rollings WMA: 534 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Jossart WMA: 201 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Henry X WMA: 194 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Chippewa River WMA: 124 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Byrne Lake WMA: 217 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Bench WMA: 614 acres, 7.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Danvers WMA
Counting Danvers WMA itself, 4,324 of the 42,391 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,449 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 875 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Danvers WMA?
In Swift County, near Benson. The DNR's directions: From Benson, go 6 miles W on CSAH 20.
Which deer permit area is Danvers WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 275. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Danvers WMA?
4,324 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Danvers WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Clair Rollings WMA (0.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Danvers 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.