Horning Pit Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Horning Pit Wildlife Management Area is 164 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Stevens County, near Chokio, 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 areasWalk-In AccessHorning Pit WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 164 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Stevens County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 272 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Chokio |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Herman (7 mi), Dumont (9 mi) and Norcross (10 mi) |
What is Horning Pit WMA like?
This WMA is located on the beach ridge of ancient Lake Agassiz. The site is an old gravel pit that is reverting to grass and woody cover. Managed for upland species.
The unit is the only permanent cover amidst farmland. As the only available natural cover, the area attracts a variety of migrant birds. Look for prairie, forest and wetland species, including bluebirds, catbirds, and mourning doves. Some deer and pheasant hunting. Hunting for cottontail rabbits.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Horning Pit WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Horning Pit WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Horning Pit WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Horning Pit WMA?
Horning Pit WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 272. The DNR registered 366 deer in DPA 272 in 2025, against 338 in 2024.
| DPA | Horning Pit WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 272 | 164 | 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 Horning Pit WMA?
From Chokio, go 9 1/2 miles N on CSAH 13 then 3 miles W on CSAH 20 then 1 mile N and 1/2 mile W on TWP RD.
Nearest towns: Herman (7 miles), Dumont (9 miles), Norcross (10 miles) and Johnson (11 miles).
What other public land is near Horning Pit WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Boekholt Grove WMA: 25 acres, 3 miles away
- Eldorado WMA: 300 acres, 4 miles away
- Everglade Marshes WMA: 181 acres, 5 miles away
- Thedin WMA: 61 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Towner WMA: 119 acres, 7.5 miles away
- Cin WMA: 132 acres, 9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Horning Pit WMA
Counting Horning Pit WMA itself, 164 of the 22,116 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (0.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 164 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Horning Pit WMA?
In Stevens County, near Chokio. The DNR's directions: From Chokio, go 9 1/2 miles N on CSAH 13 then 3 miles W on CSAH 20 then 1 mile N and 1/2 mile W on TWP RD.
Which deer permit area is Horning Pit WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 272. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Horning Pit WMA?
164 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Horning Pit WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Boekholt Grove WMA (3 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Horning Pit 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.