Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel Wildlife Management Area is 240 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Stearns County, near Kimball, inside Deer Permit Area 277. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,575 deer in DPA 277 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 areasDr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 240 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Stearns County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 277 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Kimball |
| DNR area office | Sauk Rapids |
| Nearest towns | Kimball (2 mi), Watkins (4 mi) and South Haven (5 mi) |
What is Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA like?
This WMA is situated in an area of marginally drained cropland. Restored native prairie and wetlands are the main habitat components. Visitors to this unit will encounter two older Conservation Reserve Program restored native prairie fields planted around 2006 totaling 78.93 acres along the east side of the WMA with the 98.1 acres of WMA planted into native prairie in 2019. Wetlands throughout the WMA were restored in 2020.
The Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr. and Virginia Frenzel WMA consists of native prairie and restored wetlands in Stearns County. This area is well known for its pheasant, waterfowl and deer hunting. This WMA provides wildlife habitat and water quality. Emphasis is on habitat management of grassland and wetland ecosystems. Don't be surprised if you see wild turkeys and pheasants on this "prairie WMA". As with many WMAs, more remote areas of this unit are visited by people less and offer solitude for those willing to explore.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA?
Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 277. The DNR registered 4,575 deer in DPA 277 in 2025, against 4,301 in 2024.
| DPA | Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 277 | 240 | 4,575 | 4,301 | 4,013 |
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 Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA?
The WMA is located SSW of the town of Kimball. From Kimball, go south approximately 2.2 miles on MN State Hwy 15 and then approximately 1.5 miles west on Kingston St. to its intersection with 113th Ave. with the WMA located to the northeast. Access the WMA via one designated parking lot located on the northeast side of the junction of Kingston St. and 113th Ave. (45.28288, -94.34328).
Horse riding is not allowed anywhere on the WMA. Licensed motorized vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on public roads, and at designated parking lot. Off-highway vehicles (OHV’s), all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s) and snowmobiles are prohibited anywhere on the WMA, including designated parking lots and access roads.
Nearest towns: Kimball (2 miles), Watkins (4 miles), South Haven (5 miles) and Kingston (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 55, MN 15 and MN 24.
What other public land is near Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Kingston WMA: 624 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Alice Hamm WMA: 121 acres, 2.3 miles away
- A Shau Valley WMA: 210 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Manannah WMA: 320 acres, 8 miles away
- Powers Lake WMA: 276 acres, 8.5 miles away
- Kirschner WMA: 39 acres, 9.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA
Counting Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA itself, 1,051 of the 23,433 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,051 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA?
In Stearns County, near Kimball. The DNR's directions: The WMA is located SSW of the town of Kimball. From Kimball, go south approximately 2.2 miles on MN State Hwy 15 and then approximately 1.5 miles west on Kingston St. to its intersection with 113th Ave. with the WMA located to the northeast. Access the WMA via one designated parking lot located on the northeast side of the junction of Kingston St. and 113th Ave. (45.28288, -94.34328).
Which deer permit area is Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 277. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA?
1,051 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Kingston WMA (0.8 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel 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.