Macsville Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Macsville Wildlife Management Area is 270 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Grant County, near Herman, inside Deer Permit Area 272. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 366 deer in DPA 272 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 areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasWalk-In AccessMacsville WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 270 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Grant County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 272 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Herman |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Herman (5 mi), Donnelly (6 mi) and Norcross (9 mi) |
What can you hunt on Macsville WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Macsville WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Macsville WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Macsville WMA?
Macsville WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 272. The DNR registered 366 deer in DPA 272 in 2025, against 338 in 2024.
| DPA | Macsville WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 272 | 270 | 366 | 338 | 332 |
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 Macsville WMA?
From Herman, go 1 mile SE on SH 9 then 3 1/2 miles E on CSAH 6 then 1/2 mile S on TRAIL.
Nearest towns: Herman (5 miles), Donnelly (6 miles), Norcross (9 miles) and Barrett (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 9 and MN 27.
What other public land is near Macsville WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Towner WMA: 119 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Wilts WMA: 145 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Thedin WMA: 61 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Blakesley WMA: 190 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Eldorado WMA: 300 acres, 4.7 miles away
- Helsene WMA: 274 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Macsville WMA
Counting Macsville WMA itself, 1,412 of the 23,697 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 997 |
| State wildlife management areas | 389 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 26 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Macsville WMA?
In Grant County, near Herman. The DNR's directions: From Herman, go 1 mile SE on SH 9 then 3 1/2 miles E on CSAH 6 then 1/2 mile S on TRAIL.
Which deer permit area is Macsville WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 272. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Macsville WMA?
1,412 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Macsville WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Towner WMA (0.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Macsville 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.