Klages Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Klages Wildlife Management Area is 242 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Big Stone County, near Ortonville, inside Deer Permit Area 274. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants and ducks and geese for it. Hunters registered 495 deer in DPA 274 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 areasKlages WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 242 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Big Stone County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 274 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Ortonville |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Odessa (6 mi), Correll (6 mi) and Ortonville (10 mi) |
What can you hunt on Klages WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants and ducks and geese for Klages WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Klages WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Klages WMA?
Klages WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 274. The DNR registered 495 deer in DPA 274 in 2025, against 453 in 2024.
| DPA | Klages WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 274 | 242 | 495 | 453 | 402 |
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 Klages WMA?
From Ortonville, go 9.5 miles E on Co Rd 64.
Nearest towns: Odessa (6 miles), Correll (6 miles), Ortonville (10 miles) and Louisburg (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 12, MN 7 and US 75.
What other public land is near Klages WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Otrey WMA: 455 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Lindquist WMA: 72 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Lac qui Parle WMA: 33,602 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Victory WMA: 811 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Prairie WMA: 186 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Thomson WMA: 119 acres, 6.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Klages WMA
Counting Klages WMA itself, 2,480 of the 26,077 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,236 |
| State wildlife management areas | 244 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Klages WMA?
In Big Stone County, near Ortonville. The DNR's directions: From Ortonville, go 9.5 miles E on Co Rd 64.
Which deer permit area is Klages WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 274. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Klages WMA?
2,480 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Klages WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Otrey WMA (3.7 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Klages 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.