Paul Hugo Farms Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Paul Hugo Farms Wildlife Management Area is 358 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Washington County, near Hugo, inside Deer Permit Area 236. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 2,388 deer in DPA 236 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 areasState forest and other DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landPaul Hugo Farms WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 358 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 236 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Hugo |
| DNR area office | North Metro |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Dellwood (4 mi), Centerville (4 mi) and Grant (5 mi) |
What is Paul Hugo Farms WMA like?
Paul Hugo Farms is a 357 acre WMA that emphasizes waterfowl management. It consists of about 80% wetland including Rice Lake. The remainder is high quality maple-basswood forest remnants and a 20 acre planted prairie.
Paul Hugo Farms WMA was acquired in the late 1970's. It was formerly operated as an exclusive hunt club before being acquired as a WMA. Rice Lake on Paul Hugo Farms WMA is one of the largest bodies of water in the metro area to offer canoe or other non-motorized boating opportunities where motorized boat traffic is not allowed. Breeding trumpeter swans can be observed on Rice Lake.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Paul Hugo Farms WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Paul Hugo Farms WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Paul Hugo Farms WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Paul Hugo Farms WMA: The eastern portion of this WMA, adjacent to the parking lot, is closed to the discharge of firearms. Look for signs posted indicating this boundary.
How many deer are taken around Paul Hugo Farms WMA?
Paul Hugo Farms WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 236. The DNR registered 2,388 deer in DPA 236 in 2025, against 2,085 in 2024.
| DPA | Paul Hugo Farms WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 236 | 358 | 2,388 | 2,085 | 1,986 |
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 Paul Hugo Farms WMA?
2 1/2 miles east of Hugo on Co Rd 8A, then 1/2 north on Homestead Ave.
Wheelchair access is limited to gravel parking lots at the entrance on the east and at the water access to Rice Lake.
Nearest towns: Dellwood (4 miles), Centerville (4 miles), Grant (5 miles) and Forest Lake (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-35, US 61, US 8 and MN 96.
What other public land is near Paul Hugo Farms WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Keystone Woods WMA: 1,841 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Hardwood Creek WMA: 583 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Lamprey Pass WMA: 1,277 acres, 6.2 miles away
- Carlos Avery WMA: 24,618 acres, 8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Paul Hugo Farms WMA
Counting Paul Hugo Farms WMA itself, 2,152 of the 25,233 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 985 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 584 |
| County, city and regional land | 582 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Paul Hugo Farms WMA?
In Washington County, near Hugo. The DNR's directions: 2 1/2 miles east of Hugo on Co Rd 8A, then 1/2 north on Homestead Ave.
Which deer permit area is Paul Hugo Farms WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 236. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Paul Hugo Farms WMA?
2,152 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Paul Hugo Farms WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 4 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Keystone Woods WMA (2.3 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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, Paul Hugo Farms 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.