Mound Springs Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Mound Springs Wildlife Management Area is 196 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Yellow Medicine County, near Canby, inside Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 397 deer in DPA 279 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 AccessMound Springs WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 196 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Yellow Medicine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 279 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Canby |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Canby (9 mi), Marietta (15 mi) and Porter (16 mi) |
What can you hunt on Mound Springs WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game for Mound Springs WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Mound Springs WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Mound Springs WMA?
Mound Springs WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR registered 397 deer in DPA 279 in 2025, against 370 in 2024.
| DPA | Mound Springs WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 279 | 196 | 397 | 370 | 358 |
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 Springs WMA?
From Canby, go 7 miles west on State Highway 68 then go 4 miles north on County Highway 15 and then go 0.5 miles to the southeast corner of the WMA.
Nearest towns: Canby (9 miles), Marietta (15 miles), Porter (16 miles) and Hendricks (19 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 68. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Mound Springs WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Plantation WMA: 69 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Indigo WMA: 59 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Sioux Nation WMA: 487 acres, 6 miles away
- Penthole WMA: 31 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Sweetwater WMA: 585 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Bail Out WMA: 155 acres, 8.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mound Springs WMA
Counting Mound Springs WMA itself, 880 of the 22,672 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 621 |
| State wildlife management areas | 196 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 63 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mound Springs WMA?
In Yellow Medicine County, near Canby. The DNR's directions: From Canby, go 7 miles west on State Highway 68 then go 4 miles north on County Highway 15 and then go 0.5 miles to the southeast corner of the WMA.
Which deer permit area is Mound Springs WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 279. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Mound Springs WMA?
880 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mound Springs WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Plantation WMA (3.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Mound Springs 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.