Noordmans Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Noordmans Wildlife Management Area is 318 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Pope County, near Cyrus, inside Deer Permit Area 275. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 997 deer in DPA 275 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 areasNoordmans WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 318 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Pope County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 275 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Cyrus |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Cyrus (next to it), Hancock (8 mi) and Starbuck (8 mi) |
What is Noordmans WMA like?
This WMA has an interesting diversity of habitat and wildlife. The Chippewa River flows through the WMA, providing a travel corridor for wildlife and backwater habitat. Pheasants are the focus of management at this WMA,.
The unit has a small remnant of native prairie. Two mollusks considered species of special concern, the creek heelsplitter and black sandshell, exist in the river. Try birding from the hilltops. Summer residents of this unit include meadowlarks, bobolinks, belted kingfishers, swamp sparrows, herons, and rails. Prairie wildflowers bloom on the hillsides.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Noordmans WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Noordmans WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Noordmans WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Noordmans WMA?
Noordmans WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 275. The DNR registered 997 deer in DPA 275 in 2025, against 880 in 2024.
| DPA | Noordmans WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 275 | 318 | 997 | 880 | 775 |
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 Noordmans WMA?
From Cyrus, go 1 mile E on SH 28 then 1/4 mile S on TRAIL.
Nearest towns: Cyrus (next to it), Hancock (8 miles), Starbuck (8 miles) and Morris (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 28.
What other public land is near Noordmans WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Benson WMA: 239 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Walden WMA: 20 acres, 2.9 miles away
- New Prairie WMA: 59 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Van Luik WMA: 48 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Nora WMA: 270 acres, 4 miles away
- Selk WMA: 92 acres, 4.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Noordmans WMA
Counting Noordmans WMA itself, 1,222 of the 24,478 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 649 |
| State wildlife management areas | 573 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Noordmans WMA?
In Pope County, near Cyrus. The DNR's directions: From Cyrus, go 1 mile E on SH 28 then 1/4 mile S on TRAIL.
Which deer permit area is Noordmans WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 275. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Noordmans WMA?
1,222 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Noordmans WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Benson WMA (2.2 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Noordmans 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.