Hantho Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Hantho Wildlife Management Area is 335 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, near Madison, inside Deer Permit Area 278. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 639 deer in DPA 278 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 areasHantho WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 335 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 278 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Madison |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Louisburg (4 mi), Appleton (7 mi) and Correll (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Hantho WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Hantho WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Hantho WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Hantho WMA?
Hantho WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 278. The DNR registered 639 deer in DPA 278 in 2025, against 624 in 2024.
| DPA | Hantho WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 278 | 335 | 639 | 624 | 580 |
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 Hantho WMA?
From Madison, go 5 miles N on CSAH 19, 4 miles E on CSAH 28, 1.5 miles N on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Louisburg (4 miles), Appleton (7 miles), Correll (8 miles) and Bellingham (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 40 and MN 119.
What other public land is near Hantho WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Lac qui Parle WMA: 33,602 acres, 2 miles away
- Red Buffalo WMA: 108 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Ohnah WMA: 44 acres, 3 miles away
- Lillejord WMA: 94 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Borchardt -Rosin WMA: 258 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Madison WMA: 228 acres, 7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hantho WMA
Counting Hantho WMA itself, 3,098 of the 27,689 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,705 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,393 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hantho WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, near Madison. The DNR's directions: From Madison, go 5 miles N on CSAH 19, 4 miles E on CSAH 28, 1.5 miles N on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Hantho WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 278. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Hantho WMA?
3,098 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hantho WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Lac qui Parle WMA (2 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Hantho 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.