Murphy Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Murphy Wildlife Management Area is 212 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Le Sueur County, near Waterville, inside Deer Permit Area 292. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,197 deer in DPA 292 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 areasState parksMurphy WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 212 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Le Sueur County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 292 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Waterville |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Kilkenny (3 mi), Waterville (4 mi) and Elysian (5 mi) |
What is Murphy WMA like?
The Murphy WMA is mainly comprised of: Lowland forest with emergent wetland habitat types.
The southern tract is accessible by water only.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Murphy WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Murphy WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Murphy WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Murphy WMA?
Murphy WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 292. The DNR registered 1,197 deer in DPA 292 in 2025, against 1,149 in 2024.
| DPA | Murphy WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 292 | 212 | 1,197 | 1,149 | 1,088 |
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 Murphy WMA?
From Waterville, go 3 miles NW on SH 13 and CSAH 5.
Wheelchair access is limited to adjacent county road.
Nearest towns: Kilkenny (3 miles), Waterville (4 miles), Elysian (5 miles) and Morristown (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 13 and MN 60.
What other public land is near Murphy WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Diamond Lake WMA: 340 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Earl Swain WMA: 105 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Seha WMA: 132 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Carl and Verna Schmidt WMA: 49 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Dove Lake WMA: 258 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Dora Lake WMA: 742 acres, 4.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Murphy WMA
Counting Murphy WMA itself, 490 of the 23,954 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 375 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 115 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Murphy WMA?
In Le Sueur County, near Waterville. The DNR's directions: From Waterville, go 3 miles NW on SH 13 and CSAH 5.
Which deer permit area is Murphy WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 292. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Murphy WMA?
490 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Murphy WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Diamond Lake WMA (2.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Murphy 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.