Osakis Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Osakis Wildlife Management Area is 477 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Douglas and Todd counties, near Osakis, inside Deer Permit Area 213. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 6,423 deer in DPA 213 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 areasWalk-In AccessOsakis WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 477 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Douglas County and Todd County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 213 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Osakis |
| DNR area office | Little Falls |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Osakis (next to it), West Union (4 mi) and Nelson (6 mi) |
What is Osakis WMA like?
This WMA is wetland with open water, cattails, lowland grass and grass fields.
Unit receives wastewater effluent from City of Osakis.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Osakis WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Osakis WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Osakis WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Osakis WMA: Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on designated routes and parking lots. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), snowmobiles and motorized watercraft are prohibited anywhere on the WMA.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Osakis WMA: Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on designated routes and parking lots. Off-highway vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and motorized watercraft are prohibited anywhere on the WMA.
How many deer are taken around Osakis WMA?
Osakis WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 213. The DNR registered 6,423 deer in DPA 213 in 2025, against 5,814 in 2024.
| DPA | Osakis WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 213 | 477 | 6,423 | 5,814 | 5,058 |
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 Osakis WMA?
From Osakis, go 1 mile south on county road 3. From Osakis, go 1 miles south on county road 3.
Disabled access limited to township road and parking lot located on the east side of the WMA.
Nearest towns: Osakis (next to it), West Union (4 miles), Nelson (6 miles) and Westport (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 52, I-94, MN 27 and MN 127. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Osakis WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Herberger Lake WMA: 690 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Spohn WMA: 162 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Aurzada Prairie WMA: 105 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Quistorff WMA: 359 acres, 1.9 miles away
- West Union WMA: 243 acres, 2 miles away
- Randall WMA: 58 acres, 3.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Osakis WMA
Counting Osakis WMA itself, 3,335 of the 29,118 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,990 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,345 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Osakis WMA?
In Douglas and Todd counties, near Osakis. The DNR's directions: From Osakis, go 1 mile south on county road 3. From Osakis, go 1 miles south on county road 3.
Which deer permit area is Osakis WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 213. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Osakis WMA?
3,335 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Osakis WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Herberger Lake WMA (1.3 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Osakis 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.