James Meger Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
James Meger Wildlife Management Area is 317 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Yellow Medicine County, near St. Leo, inside Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves 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 AccessJames Meger WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 317 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Yellow Medicine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 280 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | St. Leo |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | St. Leo (3 mi), Taunton (4 mi) and Porter (5 mi) |
What is James Meger WMA like?
This unit is made up of two areas with one-half mile of private land between the two parcels. The north unit consists of restored native prairie, woody cover plantings and restored wetlands. The south unit is made up of restored native prairie, woody cover plantings and floodplain along the tree-lined Mud Creek that flows through the middle of it.
A food plot is maintained on the south part of the unit.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on James Meger WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for James Meger WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on James Meger WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around James Meger WMA?
James Meger WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025, against 359 in 2024.
| DPA | James Meger WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 317 | 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 James Meger WMA?
From St. Leo, go south 4.75 on CSAH 11.
Nearest towns: St. Leo (3 miles), Taunton (4 miles), Porter (5 miles) and Minneota (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 68. 3 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near James Meger WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Lower Antelope Valley WMA: 222 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Antler WMA: 173 acres, 3 miles away
- Erie WMA: 69 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Middle Antelope Valley WMA: 379 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Omro WMA: 331 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Dennis Haaland WMA: 80 acres, 4.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of James Meger WMA
Counting James Meger WMA itself, 541 of the 27,781 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 541 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is James Meger WMA?
In Yellow Medicine County, near St. Leo. The DNR's directions: From St. Leo, go south 4.75 on CSAH 11.
Which deer permit area is James Meger WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 280. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around James Meger WMA?
541 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, James Meger WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Lower Antelope Valley WMA (1.3 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, James Meger 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.