Evans Slough Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Evans Slough Wildlife Management Area is 165 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Blue Earth County, near Vernon Center, inside Deer Permit Area 299. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 726 deer in DPA 299 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 areasWalk-In AccessEvans Slough WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 165 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Blue Earth County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 299 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Vernon Center |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Lewisville (6 mi), Vernon Center (7 mi) and Amboy (8 mi) |
What is Evans Slough WMA like?
The Evans Slough WMA is mainly comprised of: A restored prairie wetland complex with an agricultural food plot.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Evans Slough WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Evans Slough WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Evans Slough WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Evans Slough WMA?
Evans Slough WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 299. The DNR registered 726 deer in DPA 299 in 2025, against 785 in 2024.
| DPA | Evans Slough WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 299 | 165 | 726 | 785 | 797 |
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 Evans Slough WMA?
From Vernon Center, go 6 miles W on CSAH 10 then 1 1/2 miles S on CSAH 32 then 1/2 mile W on Co Rd 137.
Nearest towns: Lewisville (6 miles), Vernon Center (7 miles), Amboy (8 miles) and Madelia (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 30.
What other public land is near Evans Slough WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Case Lake WMA: 33 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Tierney WMA: 55 acres, 7.1 miles away
- Lewisville WMA: 94 acres, 7.5 miles away
- W. R. Taylor Memorial WMA: 218 acres, 8.1 miles away
- Perch Creek WMA: 1,285 acres, 9.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Evans Slough WMA
Counting Evans Slough WMA itself, 410 of the 22,352 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 245 |
| State wildlife management areas | 165 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Evans Slough WMA?
In Blue Earth County, near Vernon Center. The DNR's directions: From Vernon Center, go 6 miles W on CSAH 10 then 1 1/2 miles S on CSAH 32 then 1/2 mile W on Co Rd 137.
Which deer permit area is Evans Slough WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 299. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Evans Slough WMA?
410 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Evans Slough WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 5 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Case Lake WMA (4.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Evans Slough 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.