Mound Prairie Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Mound Prairie Wildlife Management Area is 437 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Houston County, near Hokah, inside Deer Permit Areas 646 and 649. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 2,832 deer in DPA 646 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 areasCounty, city and regional landMound Prairie WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 437 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Houston County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 646, DPA 649 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Hokah |
| DNR area office | Rochester |
| Nearest towns | Hokah (3 mi), La Crescent (6 mi) and Houston (7 mi) |
What is Mound Prairie WMA like?
Mixed lowland hardwoods of oak, maple, basswood, ash, cottonwood, elm and willow. Upland fields consists of native warm season grasses. The Root River dissects the south boundary. A large wetland complex exists on unit.
Management emphasis to maintain a rich, diverse interspersion of several communities. Timber management, prescribed burning, nesting cover development and maintenance are utilized. One parking lot exists on unit.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Mound Prairie WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Mound Prairie WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Mound Prairie WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Mound Prairie WMA?
Mound Prairie WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 2,832 deer in DPA 646 in 2025, against 2,504 in 2024.
| DPA | Mound Prairie WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 646 | 419 | 2,832 | 2,504 | 2,279 |
| DPA 649 | 18 | 3,806 | 3,455 | 3,383 |
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 Mound Prairie WMA?
From Hokah, go 1.5 mile north on TH 16, then 5 miles west on County Road 21.
Access from County Road 21 on north or Root River channel from south.
Nearest towns: Hokah (3 miles), La Crescent (6 miles), Houston (7 miles) and Dresbach (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 16 and MN 44.
What other public land is near Mound Prairie WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Root River WMA: 949 acres, next to it
Public land within 3 miles of Mound Prairie WMA
Counting Mound Prairie WMA itself, 1,670 of the 26,883 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,093 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 577 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mound Prairie WMA?
In Houston County, near Hokah. The DNR's directions: From Hokah, go 1.5 mile north on TH 16, then 5 miles west on County Road 21.
Which deer permit area is Mound Prairie WMA in?
DPA 646 (419 acres) and DPA 649 (18 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Mound Prairie WMA?
1,670 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mound Prairie WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. One other WMA is within 10 miles, the closest Root River WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Mound Prairie 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.