Erlandson Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Erlandson Wildlife Management Area is 283 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Otter Tail County, near Dalton, inside Deer Permit Area 270. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 330 deer in DPA 270 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 areasOther federal landErlandson WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 283 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Otter Tail County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 270 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Dalton |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Dalton (6 mi), Wendell (7 mi) and Elbow Lake (9 mi) |
What can you hunt on Erlandson WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Erlandson WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Erlandson WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Erlandson WMA?
Erlandson WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 270. The DNR registered 330 deer in DPA 270 in 2025, against 304 in 2024.
| DPA | Erlandson WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 270 | 283 | 330 | 304 | 247 |
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 Erlandson WMA?
From Dalton, go 5 1/2 miles W on CSAH 35 then 1/2 mile N on SH 59 then 1 1/2 miles W on Co Rd 110.
Access road and parking lot on SE corner of Mud Lake off of Highway 110.
Nearest towns: Dalton (6 miles), Wendell (7 miles), Elbow Lake (9 miles) and Ashby (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-94, US 52 and US 59.
What other public land is near Erlandson WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Aastad WMA: 317 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Bergerud WMA: 56 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Pelican Creek WMA: 357 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Hi-View WMA: 134 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Valdine WMA: 140 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Mustinka WMA: 748 acres, 5.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Erlandson WMA
Counting Erlandson WMA itself, 1,802 of the 25,725 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,196 |
| State wildlife management areas | 601 |
| Other federal land | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Erlandson WMA?
In Otter Tail County, near Dalton. The DNR's directions: From Dalton, go 5 1/2 miles W on CSAH 35 then 1/2 mile N on SH 59 then 1 1/2 miles W on Co Rd 110.
Which deer permit area is Erlandson WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 270. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Erlandson WMA?
1,802 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Erlandson WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Aastad WMA (1.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Erlandson 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.