Ogema Springs Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Ogema Springs Wildlife Management Area is 680 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Becker County, near Ogema, inside Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 224 deer in DPA 297 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 areasOgema Springs WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 680 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Becker County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 297 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Ogema |
| DNR area office | Detroit Lakes |
| Nearest towns | Ogema (next to it), White Earth (3 mi) and Callaway (5 mi) |
What is Ogema Springs WMA like?
Primarily a wetland complex with Phragmites, cattails, and willow-dogwood lowland brush, there are about 36 acres of upland grass, 26 acres of aspen forest, and 38 acres of permanent water.
Management goal is to enhance waterfowl production and migration habitat by manipulating water levels, shearing lowland brush, and conducting prescribed burns. The wetland complex continues southwards into a USFWS Waterfowl Production Area. This 504 acre WMA was assembled from acquisitions beginning in 1956 and finally completed in 1971. A land exchange in 1982 changed the boundaries slightly. The WMA lies on both sides of Highway 59. Excellent habitat for yellow-headed blackbirds, rails, mallards, blue-winged teal, and harriers.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Ogema Springs WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Ogema Springs WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Ogema Springs WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Ogema Springs WMA?
Ogema Springs WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR registered 224 deer in DPA 297 in 2025, against 204 in 2024.
| DPA | Ogema Springs WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 297 | 680 | 224 | 204 | 145 |
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 Ogema Springs WMA?
From Ogema, go 3 miles south on State Highway 59.
Nearest towns: Ogema (next to it), White Earth (3 miles), Callaway (5 miles) and Waubun (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 59 and MN 224.
What other public land is near Ogema Springs WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Spring Creek WMA: 960 acres, 1 mile away
- Teiken-dalve WMA: 73 acres, 1.5 miles away
- White Earth WMA: 43 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Waubun WMA: 2,412 acres, 4 miles away
- Callaway WMA: 317 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Pednor WMA: 244 acres, 4.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ogema Springs WMA
Counting Ogema Springs WMA itself, 3,640 of the 35,433 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,252 |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,388 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ogema Springs WMA?
In Becker County, near Ogema. The DNR's directions: From Ogema, go 3 miles south on State Highway 59.
Which deer permit area is Ogema Springs WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 297. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Ogema Springs WMA?
3,640 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ogema Springs WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Spring Creek WMA (1 mile).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Ogema 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.