Little Swan Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Little Swan Wildlife Management Area is 412 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Cottonwood County, near Delft, inside Deer Permit Area 296. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 607 deer in DPA 296 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 landLittle Swan WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 412 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Cottonwood County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 296 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Delft |
| DNR area office | Windom |
| Nearest towns | Bingham Lake (5 mi), Jeffers (6 mi) and Windom (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Little Swan WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Little Swan WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Little Swan WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Little Swan WMA?
Little Swan WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 296. The DNR registered 607 deer in DPA 296 in 2025, against 642 in 2024.
| DPA | Little Swan WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 296 | 412 | 607 | 642 | 642 |
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 Little Swan WMA?
From Delft, go 1/2 mile N on CSAH 3 then 1 mile W on Co Rd 50.
Nearest towns: Bingham Lake (5 miles), Jeffers (6 miles), Windom (7 miles) and Mountain Lake (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 71 and MN 30.
What other public land is near Little Swan WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Delft WMA: 352 acres, next to it
- Arnolds Lake WMA: 123 acres, 2 miles away
- Carpenter WMA: 61 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Farhagen WMA: 183 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Mountain Lake WMA: 70 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Rock Ridge WMA: 158 acres, 6.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Little Swan WMA
Counting Little Swan WMA itself, 1,427 of the 25,334 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 887 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 540 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Little Swan WMA?
In Cottonwood County, near Delft. The DNR's directions: From Delft, go 1/2 mile N on CSAH 3 then 1 mile W on Co Rd 50.
Which deer permit area is Little Swan WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 296. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Little Swan WMA?
1,427 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Little Swan WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Delft WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Little Swan 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.