Oxcart Crossing Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Oxcart Crossing Wildlife Management Area is 210 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Stearns County, near Belgrade, inside Deer Permit Area 218. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 3,769 deer in DPA 218 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 areasOxcart Crossing WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 210 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Stearns County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 218 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Belgrade |
| DNR area office | Sauk Rapids |
| Nearest towns | Elrosa (4 mi), Belgrade (4 mi) and Brooten (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Oxcart Crossing WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Oxcart Crossing WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Oxcart Crossing WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Oxcart Crossing WMA?
Oxcart Crossing WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 218. The DNR registered 3,769 deer in DPA 218 in 2025, against 3,553 in 2024.
| DPA | Oxcart Crossing WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 218 | 210 | 3,769 | 3,553 | 3,092 |
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 Oxcart Crossing WMA?
From Belgrade, 4 miles N on County Hwy 13 to WMA on right.
Nearest towns: Elrosa (4 miles), Belgrade (4 miles), Brooten (5 miles) and Spring Hill (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 71 and MN 55.
What other public land is near Oxcart Crossing WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- North Fork WMA: 255 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Milton Kjeldahl WMA: 196 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Vision WMA: 234 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Edward Raymond Mohs WMA: 336 acres, 4 miles away
- Tamarac WMA: 615 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Mel Roehrl WMA: 307 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Oxcart Crossing WMA
Counting Oxcart Crossing WMA itself, 682 of the 22,715 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 682 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Oxcart Crossing WMA?
In Stearns County, near Belgrade. The DNR's directions: From Belgrade, 4 miles N on County Hwy 13 to WMA on right.
Which deer permit area is Oxcart Crossing WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 218. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Oxcart Crossing WMA?
682 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Oxcart Crossing WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest North Fork WMA (0.8 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Oxcart Crossing 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.