Jossart Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Jossart Wildlife Management Area is 201 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Swift County, near Benson, inside Deer Permit Area 275. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 997 deer in DPA 275 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 landJossart WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 201 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Swift County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 275 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Benson |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Benson (5 mi), Danvers (5 mi) and De Graff (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Jossart WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Jossart WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Jossart WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Jossart WMA?
Jossart WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 275. The DNR registered 997 deer in DPA 275 in 2025, against 880 in 2024.
| DPA | Jossart WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 275 | 201 | 997 | 880 | 775 |
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 Jossart WMA?
From Benson, go 4 miles S on SH 29 then 2.5 miles E on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Benson (5 miles), Danvers (5 miles), De Graff (8 miles) and Clontarf (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 29, US 12 and MN 9.
What other public land is near Jossart WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Clair Rollings WMA: 534 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Danvers WMA: 3,032 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Tjosaas WMA: 98 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Bench WMA: 614 acres, 7.5 miles away
- Henry X WMA: 194 acres, 7.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Jossart WMA
Counting Jossart WMA itself, 736 of the 23,717 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 736 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Jossart WMA?
In Swift County, near Benson. The DNR's directions: From Benson, go 4 miles S on SH 29 then 2.5 miles E on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Jossart WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 275. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Jossart WMA?
736 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Jossart WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 5 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Clair Rollings WMA (1.5 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Jossart 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.