John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley Wildlife Management Area is 395 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Goodhue County, near Red Wing, inside Deer Permit Area 341. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 3,312 deer in DPA 341 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 areasState forest and other DNR landCounty, city and regional landJohn Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 395 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Goodhue County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 341 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Red Wing |
| DNR area office | Rochester |
| Nearest towns | Red Wing (4 mi), Goodhue (8 mi) and Miesville (9 mi) |
What is John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA like?
This unit is a mix of northern hardwood forest, shrub-carr wetlands, and agricultural fields. Bluff prairies are found on the west-facing slopes. Spring Creek, a designated trout stream, flows through the property.
Management emphasis is to maintain forest communities on the bluffs and a mix of native grasses and agricultural crops for farmland wildlife on the uplands. Timber harvest and prescribed fire are the primary management tools used on the unit. Recreation opportunities include hunting, trout fishing, trapping, bird watching, spring wild flowers, and berry and mushroom picking.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA?
John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 341. The DNR registered 3,312 deer in DPA 341 in 2025, against 2,953 in 2024.
| DPA | John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 341 | 395 | 3,312 | 2,953 | 3,034 |
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 John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA?
From Red Wing, go 2.8 miles S on State Hwy 19 then 0.5 miles S on County Hwy 6.
Nearest towns: Red Wing (4 miles), Goodhue (8 miles), Miesville (9 miles) and Cannon Falls (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 61 and MN 19.
What other public land is near John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Gores Pool #3 WMA: 7,109 acres, 5.3 miles away
- John Murtaugh Memorial WMA: 120 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Tangential WMA: 26 acres, 7.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA
Counting John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA itself, 1,354 of the 24,734 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 934 |
| State wildlife management areas | 408 |
| County, city and regional land | 12 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA?
In Goodhue County, near Red Wing. The DNR's directions: From Red Wing, go 2.8 miles S on State Hwy 19 then 0.5 miles S on County Hwy 6.
Which deer permit area is John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 341. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA?
1,354 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 3 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Gores Pool #3 WMA (5.3 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley 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.