Oshkosh Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Oshkosh Wildlife Management Area is 250 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Yellow Medicine County, near St. Leo, inside Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 329 deer in DPA 280 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 areasWalk-In AccessOshkosh WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 250 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Yellow Medicine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 280 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | St. Leo |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | St. Leo (4 mi), Canby (7 mi) and Porter (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Oshkosh WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game for Oshkosh WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Oshkosh WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Oshkosh WMA?
Oshkosh WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025, against 359 in 2024.
| DPA | Oshkosh WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 250 | 329 | 359 | 308 |
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 Oshkosh WMA?
From St. Leo, go 3 miles N on CSAH 11 then 3 1/2 miles W on CSAH 33.
Nearest towns: St. Leo (4 miles), Canby (7 miles), Porter (8 miles) and Taunton (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 67 and US 75. 2 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Oshkosh WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- St. Leo WMA: 243 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Miller Richter WMA: 431 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Big Rock WMA: 132 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Teardrop WMA: 42 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Kaibab WMA: 54 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Reserve WMA: 137 acres, 3.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Oshkosh WMA
Counting Oshkosh WMA itself, 954 of the 23,365 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 954 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Oshkosh WMA?
In Yellow Medicine County, near St. Leo. The DNR's directions: From St. Leo, go 3 miles N on CSAH 11 then 3 1/2 miles W on CSAH 33.
Which deer permit area is Oshkosh WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 280. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Oshkosh WMA?
954 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Oshkosh WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest St. Leo WMA (2.1 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Oshkosh 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.