Milton Kjeldahl Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Milton Kjeldahl Wildlife Management Area is 196 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Stearns County, near Brooten, inside Deer Permit Area 218. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants and small game for it. Hunters registered 3,769 deer in DPA 218 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 areasMilton Kjeldahl WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 196 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Stearns County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 218 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Brooten |
| DNR area office | Sauk Rapids |
| Nearest towns | Brooten (3 mi), Belgrade (5 mi) and Elrosa (5 mi) |
What is Milton Kjeldahl WMA like?
This 194 acre WMA is composed of restored prairie that borders lowland cattail/sedge flowage areas. Dense stands of willow, cottonwoods, and conifers provide an important wintering area for resident wildlife.
The WMA is part of a larger deer, pheasant, and turkey wintering area. Milton Kjeldahl, who was the previous landowner, was a very active conservationist in the area.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Milton Kjeldahl WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants and small game for Milton Kjeldahl WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Milton Kjeldahl WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Milton Kjeldahl WMA?
Milton Kjeldahl WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 218. The DNR registered 3,769 deer in DPA 218 in 2025, against 3,553 in 2024.
| DPA | Milton Kjeldahl WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 218 | 196 | 3,769 | 3,553 | 3,092 |
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 Milton Kjeldahl WMA?
4 miles NE of Brooten within Section 26, T124N, R35W.
Nearest towns: Brooten (3 miles), Belgrade (5 miles), Elrosa (5 miles) and Spring Hill (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 55 and US 71.
What other public land is near Milton Kjeldahl WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- North Fork WMA: 255 acres, next to it
- Oxcart Crossing WMA: 210 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Edward Raymond Mohs WMA: 336 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Tamarac WMA: 615 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Prairie Smoke WMA: 174 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Mel Roehrl WMA: 307 acres, 4.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Milton Kjeldahl WMA
Counting Milton Kjeldahl WMA itself, 841 of the 22,797 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 | 681 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 160 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Milton Kjeldahl WMA?
In Stearns County, near Brooten. The DNR's directions: 4 miles NE of Brooten within Section 26, T124N, R35W.
Which deer permit area is Milton Kjeldahl WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 218. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Milton Kjeldahl WMA?
841 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Milton Kjeldahl WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest North Fork WMA (next to it).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Milton Kjeldahl 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.