Kingston Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Kingston Wildlife Management Area is 624 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Meeker County, near Kimball, inside Deer Permit Area 277. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,575 deer in DPA 277 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 areasWalk-In AccessKingston WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 624 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Meeker County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 277 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Kimball |
| DNR area office | New London |
| Nearest towns | Kimball (3 mi), Kingston (4 mi) and Watkins (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Kingston WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game for Kingston WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Kingston WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Kingston WMA?
Kingston WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 277. The DNR registered 4,575 deer in DPA 277 in 2025, against 4,301 in 2024.
| DPA | Kingston WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 277 | 624 | 4,575 | 4,301 | 4,013 |
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 Kingston WMA?
In Kimball: From the Intersection of MN Hwy 55 and MN Hwy 15/24 go south on MN Hwy 15/24 for 3.75 miles. The WMA is on the west side of the highway.
There are 3 newly constructed parking lots on the WMA. One is on the south end, and 2 are on the west side. The majority of the upland habitat is on the western side of this WMA.
Nearest towns: Kimball (3 miles), Kingston (4 miles), Watkins (5 miles) and South Haven (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 55, MN 15 and MN 24. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Kingston WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA: 240 acres, 0.8 miles away
- A Shau Valley WMA: 210 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Alice Hamm WMA: 121 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Powers Lake WMA: 276 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Manannah WMA: 320 acres, 7.5 miles away
- Knapp WMA: 434 acres, 8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Kingston WMA
Counting Kingston WMA itself, 924 of the 27,943 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 | 924 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Kingston WMA?
In Meeker County, near Kimball. The DNR's directions: In Kimball: From the Intersection of MN Hwy 55 and MN Hwy 15/24 go south on MN Hwy 15/24 for 3.75 miles. The WMA is on the west side of the highway.
Which deer permit area is Kingston WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 277. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Kingston WMA?
924 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Kingston WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA (0.8 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Kingston 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.