David B. Vesall Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
David B. Vesall Wildlife Management Area is 645 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, near Madison, inside Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 397 deer in DPA 279 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 areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasDavid B. Vesall WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 645 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 279 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Madison |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Marietta (next to it), Nassau (4 mi) and Bellingham (9 mi) |
What is David B. Vesall WMA like?
This WMA has a diverse habitat including brome grass uplands and mature cottonwoods, which provide squirrel, rabbit and turkey habitat. The NE is dominated by phragmites and cattails while the N central portion has an open water marsh for waterfowl.
Access is available at several locations. A county ditch running N-S is difficult to cross most times of the year. The designated parking area is located in the SW portion of the unit off of Highway 40. During wet falls, shallow flooded areas provide good snipe hunting opportunities.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on David B. Vesall WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for David B. Vesall WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on David B. Vesall WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around David B. Vesall WMA?
David B. Vesall WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR registered 397 deer in DPA 279 in 2025, against 370 in 2024.
| DPA | David B. Vesall WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 279 | 645 | 397 | 370 | 358 |
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 David B. Vesall WMA?
From Madison, go 9 miles W on SH 40 to the WMA on the right.
Nearest towns: Marietta (next to it), Nassau (4 miles), Bellingham (9 miles) and Madison (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 40.
What other public land is near David B. Vesall WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Northeast Four Corners WMA: 361 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Gollnick WMA: 516 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Salt Lake WMA: 780 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Quilitz WMA: 383 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Walter WMA: 510 acres, 3 miles away
- Haydenville WMA: 484 acres, 3.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of David B. Vesall WMA
Counting David B. Vesall WMA itself, 1,708 of the 26,424 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,546 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 119 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 43 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is David B. Vesall WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, near Madison. The DNR's directions: From Madison, go 9 miles W on SH 40 to the WMA on the right.
Which deer permit area is David B. Vesall WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 279. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around David B. Vesall WMA?
1,708 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, David B. Vesall WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Northeast Four Corners WMA (1.1 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, David B. Vesall 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.