Prairie Dell Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Prairie Dell Wildlife Management Area is 204 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lincoln County, near Ivanhoe, inside Deer Permit Area 286. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 588 deer in DPA 286 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 AccessPrairie Dell WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 204 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lincoln County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 286 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Ivanhoe |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Porter (6 mi), Canby (8 mi) and Hendricks (9 mi) |
What can you hunt on Prairie Dell WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Prairie Dell WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Prairie Dell WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Prairie Dell WMA?
Prairie Dell WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 286. The DNR registered 588 deer in DPA 286 in 2025, against 497 in 2024.
| DPA | Prairie Dell WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 286 | 204 | 588 | 497 | 436 |
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 Prairie Dell WMA?
From Ivanhoe, go 10 miles N on US 75.
Nearest towns: Porter (6 miles), Canby (8 miles), Hendricks (9 miles) and Ivanhoe (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 75. 4 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Prairie Dell WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Clare Johnson WMA: 124 acres, next to it
- Platyrchnchos WMA: 84 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Archerville WMA: 237 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Richard J. Dorer WMA: 337 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Colinoso WMA: 80 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Bossuyt WMA: 82 acres, 3.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Prairie Dell WMA
Counting Prairie Dell WMA itself, 1,109 of the 23,432 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 785 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 324 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Prairie Dell WMA?
In Lincoln County, near Ivanhoe. The DNR's directions: From Ivanhoe, go 10 miles N on US 75.
Which deer permit area is Prairie Dell WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 286. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Prairie Dell WMA?
1,109 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Prairie Dell WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Clare Johnson WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Prairie Dell 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.