Kunkel Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Kunkel Wildlife Management Area is 2,759 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Mille Lacs and Sherburne counties, near Princeton, inside Deer Permit Areas 223 and 222. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 2,839 deer in DPA 223 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 landKunkel WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,759 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Mille Lacs County and Sherburne County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 223, DPA 222 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Princeton |
| DNR area office | Cambridge |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Princeton (3 mi), Pease (8 mi) and Zimmerman (9 mi) |
What is Kunkel WMA like?
Mixed upland and low ground. Upland comprised of restored native prairie, bur oak, aspen and some white pine. Low areas contain several restored wetlands, Rice Lake, marsh, and wet areas dominated by grasses and brush.
Management emphasis includes wetland, prairie and oak savanna restoration; waterfowl, deer and small game habitat; and providing public hunting. Excellent wildlife watching opportunities, especially in the spring.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Kunkel WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Kunkel WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Kunkel WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Kunkel WMA: No Camping is allowed on this unit. Access trail through the unit is closed to vehicle traffic from January 1 to August 1.
How many deer are taken around Kunkel WMA?
Kunkel WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 2,839 deer in DPA 223 in 2025, against 2,808 in 2024.
| DPA | Kunkel WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 223 | 2,742 | 2,839 | 2,808 | 2,249 |
| DPA 222 | 17 | 3,420 | 3,270 | 2,734 |
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 Kunkel WMA?
From Princeton: Rice Lake access: 2.5 mi. W. on Hwy. 95, 0.3 m. S. on 120th Ave. to parking area. South access: 4.5 m. W. on Co. Rd. 3, 0.8 m. N. on 160th St. NW to parking area.
Wheelchair access limited to parking area and gravel access roads.
Nearest towns: Princeton (3 miles), Pease (8 miles), Zimmerman (9 miles) and Foreston (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 169 and MN 95.
What other public land is near Kunkel WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Glendorado WMA: 216 acres, 2.8 miles away
- BenLacs WMA: 620 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Bolger WMA: 41 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Vietnam Veterans WMA: 79 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Bibles Slough WMA: 68 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Santiago WMA: 81 acres, 6.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Kunkel WMA
Counting Kunkel WMA itself, 8,000 of the 39,167 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (20.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 5,141 |
| State wildlife management areas | 2,826 |
| County, city and regional land | 33 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Kunkel WMA?
In Mille Lacs and Sherburne counties, near Princeton. The DNR's directions: From Princeton: Rice Lake access: 2.5 mi. W. on Hwy. 95, 0.3 m. S. on 120th Ave. to parking area. South access: 4.5 m. W. on Co. Rd. 3, 0.8 m. N. on 160th St. NW to parking area.
Which deer permit area is Kunkel WMA in?
DPA 223 (2,742 acres) and DPA 222 (17 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Kunkel WMA?
8,000 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Kunkel WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Glendorado WMA (2.8 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Kunkel 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.
Minnesota hunting Mille Lacs County Sherburne County DPA 223 DPA 222