Hamlin Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Hamlin Wildlife Management Area is 318 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, near Madison, inside Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 329 deer in DPA 280 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 AccessHamlin WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 318 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 280 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Madison |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Dawson (6 mi), Madison (6 mi) and Marietta (13 mi) |
What can you hunt on Hamlin WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Hamlin WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Hamlin WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Hamlin WMA?
Hamlin WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025, against 359 in 2024.
| DPA | Hamlin WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 318 | 329 | 359 | 308 |
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 Hamlin WMA?
From Madison, go 6 miles S on US 75, 1 mile E Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Dawson (6 miles), Madison (6 miles), Marietta (13 miles) and Boyd (14 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 75 and US 212.
What other public land is near Hamlin WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Creekside WMA: 100 acres, 1 mile away
- 25th Anniversary WMA: 329 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Prospect WMA: 66 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Providence WMA: 233 acres, 4.7 miles away
- Florida Creek WMA: 1,113 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Kemen WMA: 209 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hamlin WMA
Counting Hamlin WMA itself, 698 of the 24,609 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 419 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 279 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hamlin WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, near Madison. The DNR's directions: From Madison, go 6 miles S on US 75, 1 mile E Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Hamlin WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 280. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Hamlin WMA?
698 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hamlin WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Creekside WMA (1 mile).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Hamlin 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.