Great Oasis Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Great Oasis Wildlife Management Area is 319 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Murray County, near Hadley, inside Deer Permit Area 295. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 904 deer in DPA 295 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 AccessGreat Oasis WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 319 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Murray County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 295 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Hadley |
| DNR area office | Slayton-Talcot Lake |
| Nearest towns | Hadley (6 mi), Lake Wilson (7 mi) and Slayton (9 mi) |
What is Great Oasis WMA like?
This WMA is a remnant woodland on the shores of a large drained lake basin. The area also contains some small wetlands, restored grasslands. Contains designated old growth basswood. This is a major deer wintering area.
Unique plant community is a remnant of the big woods. Site of earliest European settlement in Murray County.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Great Oasis WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Great Oasis WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Great Oasis WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Great Oasis WMA?
Great Oasis WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 295. The DNR registered 904 deer in DPA 295 in 2025, against 835 in 2024.
| DPA | Great Oasis WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 295 | 319 | 904 | 835 | 827 |
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 Great Oasis WMA?
From Hadley, 7 miles north on County Road 29, then 1.75 miles west on County Road 12.
Nearest towns: Hadley (6 miles), Lake Wilson (7 miles), Slayton (9 miles) and Balaton (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 91.
What other public land is near Great Oasis WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Lowville WMA: 194 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Mason WMA: 35 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Mccord-Laible WMA: 76 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Skandia WMA: 498 acres, 3 miles away
- Reinhold WMA: 21 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Sarah-Mason WMA: 121 acres, 3.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Great Oasis WMA
Counting Great Oasis WMA itself, 624 of the 24,190 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 624 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Great Oasis WMA?
In Murray County, near Hadley. The DNR's directions: From Hadley, 7 miles north on County Road 29, then 1.75 miles west on County Road 12.
Which deer permit area is Great Oasis WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 295. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Great Oasis WMA?
624 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Great Oasis WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Lowville WMA (1.1 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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, Great Oasis 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.