Delft Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Delft Wildlife Management Area is 352 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Cottonwood County, near Delft, inside Deer Permit Area 296. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 607 deer in DPA 296 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 landDelft WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 352 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Cottonwood County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 296 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Delft |
| DNR area office | Windom |
| Nearest towns | Bingham Lake (4 mi), Windom (7 mi) and Mountain Lake (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Delft WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Delft WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Delft WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Delft WMA?
Delft WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 296. The DNR registered 607 deer in DPA 296 in 2025, against 642 in 2024.
| DPA | Delft WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 296 | 352 | 607 | 642 | 642 |
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 Delft WMA?
From Delft, go 1/2 mile S on CSAH 3 then 1/2 mile E on Co Rd 50.
Nearest towns: Bingham Lake (4 miles), Windom (7 miles), Mountain Lake (7 miles) and Jeffers (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 71, MN 60 and MN 30.
What other public land is near Delft WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Little Swan WMA: 412 acres, next to it
- Carpenter WMA: 61 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Arnolds Lake WMA: 123 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Farhagen WMA: 183 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Mountain Lake WMA: 70 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Banks WMA: 312 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Delft WMA
Counting Delft WMA itself, 1,112 of the 26,245 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 764 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 348 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Delft WMA?
In Cottonwood County, near Delft. The DNR's directions: From Delft, go 1/2 mile S on CSAH 3 then 1/2 mile E on Co Rd 50.
Which deer permit area is Delft WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 296. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Delft WMA?
1,112 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Delft WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Little Swan WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Delft 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.