Helsene Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Helsene Wildlife Management Area is 274 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Grant County, near Herman, inside Deer Permit Area 272. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 366 deer in DPA 272 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 areasHelsene WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 274 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Grant County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 272 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Herman |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Herman (5 mi), Norcross (5 mi) and Barrett (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Helsene WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Helsene WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Helsene WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Helsene WMA?
Helsene WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 272. The DNR registered 366 deer in DPA 272 in 2025, against 338 in 2024.
| DPA | Helsene WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 272 | 274 | 366 | 338 | 332 |
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 Helsene WMA?
From Herman, go 2 1/2 miles E on SH 27 then 3 miles N on CSAH 9 then 1 mile E on CO RD 34.
Nearest towns: Herman (5 miles), Norcross (5 miles), Barrett (8 miles) and Elbow Lake (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 27, MN 54 and MN 9.
What other public land is near Helsene WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Blakesley WMA: 190 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Wilts WMA: 145 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Macsville WMA: 270 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Towner WMA: 119 acres, 6.5 miles away
- Mustinka WMA: 748 acres, 8.1 miles away
- Thedin WMA: 61 acres, 8.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Helsene WMA
Counting Helsene WMA itself, 1,566 of the 24,666 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 957 |
| State wildlife management areas | 609 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Helsene WMA?
In Grant County, near Herman. The DNR's directions: From Herman, go 2 1/2 miles E on SH 27 then 3 miles N on CSAH 9 then 1 mile E on CO RD 34.
Which deer permit area is Helsene WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 272. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Helsene WMA?
1,566 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Helsene WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Blakesley WMA (0.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Helsene 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.