Lanners Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Lanners Wildlife Management Area is 206 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Yellow Medicine County, near St. Leo, inside Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 329 deer in DPA 280 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 areasLanners WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 206 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Yellow Medicine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 280 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | St. Leo |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | St. Leo (3 mi), Boyd (9 mi) and Clarkfield (10 mi) |
What can you hunt on Lanners WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Lanners WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Lanners WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Lanners WMA?
Lanners WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025, against 359 in 2024.
| DPA | Lanners WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 206 | 329 | 359 | 308 |
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 Lanners WMA?
From St. Leo, go 2 miles N on CSAH 11 then 2 miles E on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: St. Leo (3 miles), Boyd (9 miles), Clarkfield (10 miles) and Taunton (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 67.
What other public land is near Lanners WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Omro WMA: 331 acres, next to it
- Dennis Haaland WMA: 80 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Kaibab WMA: 54 acres, 1 mile away
- Tyro WMA: 302 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Big Rock WMA: 132 acres, 2.2 miles away
- St. Leo WMA: 243 acres, 2.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lanners WMA
Counting Lanners WMA itself, 913 of the 24,423 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 913 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lanners WMA?
In Yellow Medicine County, near St. Leo. The DNR's directions: From St. Leo, go 2 miles N on CSAH 11 then 2 miles E on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Lanners WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 280. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Lanners WMA?
913 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lanners WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Omro WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Lanners 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.