Gales Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Gales Wildlife Management Area is 268 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Redwood County, near Walnut Grove, inside Deer Permit Area 289. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 558 deer in DPA 289 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 areasWalk-In AccessGales WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 268 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Redwood County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 289 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Walnut Grove |
| DNR area office | New Ulm |
| Nearest towns | Lucan (4 mi), Milroy (4 mi) and Walnut Grove (9 mi) |
What can you hunt on Gales WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Gales WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Gales WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Gales WMA?
Gales WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 289. The DNR registered 558 deer in DPA 289 in 2025, against 526 in 2024.
| DPA | Gales WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 289 | 268 | 558 | 526 | 512 |
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 Gales WMA?
From Walnut Grove, go 9 1/2 miles N on CSAH 5.
Nearest towns: Lucan (4 miles), Milroy (4 miles), Walnut Grove (9 miles) and Vesta (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 68.
What other public land is near Gales WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Westline WMA: 257 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Wahpeton Prairie WMA: 82 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Johnsonville WMA: 113 acres, 4.5 miles away
- SE Clifton WMA: 371 acres, 5.7 miles away
- Waterbury WMA: 81 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Sandy Slough WMA: 79 acres, 6.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Gales WMA
Counting Gales WMA itself, 279 of the 25,156 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 279 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Gales WMA?
In Redwood County, near Walnut Grove. The DNR's directions: From Walnut Grove, go 9 1/2 miles N on CSAH 5.
Which deer permit area is Gales WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 289. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Gales WMA?
279 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Gales WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Westline WMA (2.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Gales 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.