Klinker Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Klinker Wildlife Management Area is 532 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Murray County, near Lake Wilson, inside Deer Permit Area 294. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 472 deer in DPA 294 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 AccessKlinker WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 532 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Murray County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 294 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Lake Wilson |
| DNR area office | Slayton-Talcot Lake |
| Nearest towns | Lake Wilson (6 mi), Woodstock (7 mi) and Ruthton (8 mi) |
What is Klinker WMA like?
This unit contains a 100-acre deep marsh, a shallow wetland complex, and a wooded area. There area food plots scattered throughout the WMA.
This WMA is an important deer wintering area. This is a good place to view wetland wildlife from your vehicle.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Klinker WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Klinker WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Klinker WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Klinker WMA?
Klinker WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 294. The DNR registered 472 deer in DPA 294 in 2025, against 462 in 2024.
| DPA | Klinker WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 294 | 532 | 472 | 462 | 461 |
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 Klinker WMA?
From Lake Wilson, go 5 miles north on State Highway 91 then 3 miles west on County Road 10 then 0.5 miles north on township road.
There are carry-in water accesses to the marsh and wetland on this unit.
Nearest towns: Lake Wilson (6 miles), Woodstock (7 miles), Ruthton (8 miles) and Hadley (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 91. 4 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Klinker WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Degroot WMA: 75 acres, next to it
- Tutt WMA: 149 acres, 1 mile away
- Mccord-Laible WMA: 76 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Adolph Lofthus WMA: 106 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Reinhold WMA: 21 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Woodstock WMA: 250 acres, 2.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Klinker WMA
Counting Klinker WMA itself, 982 of the 27,189 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 982 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Klinker WMA?
In Murray County, near Lake Wilson. The DNR's directions: From Lake Wilson, go 5 miles north on State Highway 91 then 3 miles west on County Road 10 then 0.5 miles north on township road.
Which deer permit area is Klinker WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 294. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Klinker WMA?
982 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Klinker WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Degroot WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Klinker 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.