Prairie Dunes Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Prairie Dunes Wildlife Management Area is 1,081 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Norman County, near Gary, inside Deer Permit Area 265. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,177 deer in DPA 265 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasPrairie Dunes WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,081 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Norman County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 265 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Gary |
| DNR area office | Detroit Lakes |
| Nearest towns | Gary (3 mi), Fertile (5 mi) and Twin Valley (11 mi) |
What is Prairie Dunes WMA like?
The habitat on the WMA is diverse. The north sub-unit in Section 19 consists of aspen pockets with intermixed grass openings, restored prairie, seasonal wetlands and a 9-acre food plot. The central sub-unit in Section 29 consists of cutover aspen, scattered willow/brushy areas, seasonal wetlands, and newly planted prairie. The southern sub-units in Sections 32 and 33 are primarily open land recently planted with native grasses and forbs with intermixed shallow wetlands.
Prairie Dunes WMA is a brand new WMA acquired in December 2017. DNR Wildlife purchased Tracts 1 (Section 19) and 15 (Section 29), and Pheasants Forever and the MN Prairie Chicken Society acquired and donated to the State Tract 16 (Sections 32 & 33). Management emphasis is currently focused on restoring dozens of drained wetlands and planting native grasses and forbs in the uplands. Cattle were used on Tract 1 in 2019 to help interseed native grasses and forbs into the old grassland areas. A small food plot is maintained for the abundant deer and turkeys that winter on the WMA and surrounding lands. Habitat management strategies that may be used to improve the land for wildlife include prescribed burns, water level manipulation, grazing, and timber harvest.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Prairie Dunes WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves, bear and small game for Prairie Dunes WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Prairie Dunes WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Prairie Dunes WMA?
Prairie Dunes WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 265. The DNR registered 1,177 deer in DPA 265 in 2025, against 1,067 in 2024.
| DPA | Prairie Dunes WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 265 | 1,081 | 1,177 | 1,067 | 930 |
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 Dunes WMA?
3 miles North of Gary off of State Highway 32, or 6 miles South of Fertile.
There are five parking areas on the WMA and good road access to all sub-units.
Nearest towns: Gary (3 miles), Fertile (5 miles), Twin Valley (11 miles) and Beltrami (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 32.
What other public land is near Prairie Dunes WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Agassiz-Nelson WMA: 120 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Agassiz-Olson WMA: 1,774 acres, 3 miles away
- Ranum WMA: 183 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Liberty WMA: 1,368 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Ida WMA: 82 acres, 8 miles away
- Onstad WMA: 280 acres, 9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Prairie Dunes WMA
Counting Prairie Dunes WMA itself, 2,466 of the 35,828 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,247 |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,219 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Prairie Dunes WMA?
In Norman County, near Gary. The DNR's directions: 3 miles North of Gary off of State Highway 32, or 6 miles South of Fertile.
Which deer permit area is Prairie Dunes WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 265. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Prairie Dunes WMA?
2,466 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Prairie Dunes WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Agassiz-Nelson WMA (1.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Prairie Dunes 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.