Herlein-Boote Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Herlein-Boote Wildlife Management Area is 741 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Nobles County, near Reading, inside Deer Permit Area 237. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 301 deer in DPA 237 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 areasCounty, city and regional landHerlein-Boote WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 741 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Nobles County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 237 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Reading |
| DNR area office | Slayton-Talcot Lake |
| Nearest towns | Worthington (4 mi), Rushmore (5 mi) and Wilmont (9 mi) |
What is Herlein-Boote WMA like?
This WMA contains a 250-acre marsh managed for waterfowl with associated grasslands, woody cover, and food plots.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Herlein-Boote WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Herlein-Boote WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Herlein-Boote WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Herlein-Boote WMA?
Herlein-Boote WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 237. The DNR registered 301 deer in DPA 237 in 2025, against 332 in 2024.
| DPA | Herlein-Boote WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 237 | 741 | 301 | 332 | 359 |
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 Herlein-Boote WMA?
From Reading, go 4 miles south on County Road 9 then 1mile east on township road.
There is a carry-in water access to the marsh on this unit.
Nearest towns: Worthington (4 miles), Rushmore (5 miles), Wilmont (9 miles) and Bigelow (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-90, US 59 and MN 60.
What other public land is near Herlein-Boote WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Lambert Prairie WMA: 306 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Bluebird Prairie WMA: 78 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Ransom Ridge WMA: 382 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Groth WMA: 171 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Van Drie Ridge WMA: 84 acres, 7 miles away
- James Willey WMA: 138 acres, 7.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Herlein-Boote WMA
Counting Herlein-Boote WMA itself, 1,054 of the 31,960 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,053 |
| County, city and regional land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Herlein-Boote WMA?
In Nobles County, near Reading. The DNR's directions: From Reading, go 4 miles south on County Road 9 then 1mile east on township road.
Which deer permit area is Herlein-Boote WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 237. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Herlein-Boote WMA?
1,054 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Herlein-Boote WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Lambert Prairie WMA (2.3 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Herlein-Boote 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.