Elmo Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Elmo Wildlife Management Area is 1,508 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Otter Tail County, near Henning, inside Deer Permit Area 240. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 5,068 deer in DPA 240 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 areasElmo WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,508 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Otter Tail County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 240 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Henning |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Henning (5 mi), Parkers Prairie (7 mi) and Deer Creek (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Elmo WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Elmo WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Elmo WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Elmo WMA?
Elmo WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 240. The DNR registered 5,068 deer in DPA 240 in 2025, against 4,457 in 2024.
| DPA | Elmo WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 240 | 1,508 | 5,068 | 4,457 | 4,090 |
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 Elmo WMA?
From Henning, go 2 miles S on CSAH 65 then 5 miles E on CO RD 134.
There are many access points to Elmo WMA and the adjacent Inman WMA to the north, as well as 5 parking areas. Access from the east side is via 210th St. off of Highway 29, and access from the south on 540th Ave. north of Almora, and north on 555th Ave off of Highway 40,.
Nearest towns: Henning (5 miles), Parkers Prairie (7 miles), Deer Creek (7 miles) and Vining (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 29 and MN 210.
What other public land is near Elmo WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Inman (Wunderlich) WMA: 1,352 acres, next to it
- Almora WMA: 164 acres, 0.6 miles away
- Wrightstown WMA: 221 acres, 4 miles away
- Lake Sixteen WMA: 119 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Folden Woods Marsh WMA: 320 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Eastern WMA: 1,028 acres, 6.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Elmo WMA
Counting Elmo WMA itself, 4,817 of the 32,464 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,026 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,087 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 704 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Elmo WMA?
In Otter Tail County, near Henning. The DNR's directions: From Henning, go 2 miles S on CSAH 65 then 5 miles E on CO RD 134.
Which deer permit area is Elmo WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 240. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Elmo WMA?
4,817 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Elmo WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Inman (Wunderlich) 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, Elmo 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.