Prairie Smoke Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Prairie Smoke Wildlife Management Area is 174 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Stearns County, near Brooten, inside Deer Permit Area 218. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves 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 areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasPrairie Smoke WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 174 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Stearns County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 218 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Brooten |
| DNR area office | Sauk Rapids |
| Nearest towns | Brooten (3 mi), Sedan (6 mi) and Elrosa (9 mi) |
What is Prairie Smoke WMA like?
This 174 acre WMA is composed of restored prairie that contains wetland and wooded environments that border Sedan Brook. The topography of the area is slightly rolling. Dense stands of cattail with shrubs and trees provide an important wintering area for resident wildlife.
The WMA is part of a larger deer, pheasant, and turkey wintering area.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Prairie Smoke WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Prairie Smoke WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Prairie Smoke WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Prairie Smoke WMA?
Prairie Smoke WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 218. The DNR registered 3,769 deer in DPA 218 in 2025, against 3,553 in 2024.
| DPA | Prairie Smoke WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 218 | 174 | 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 Prairie Smoke WMA?
2.6 miles N of Brooten within W 1/2, Section 18, T124N, R35W. From the town of Brooten, travel on State Hwy 55, go north 2.6 miles on 493rd Ave. to access the WMA via one designated parking lot located on the east side of the road.
Wheelchair access is limited to public roads and mowed parking lot on this unit.
Nearest towns: Brooten (3 miles), Sedan (6 miles), Elrosa (9 miles) and Belgrade (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 55.
What other public land is near Prairie Smoke WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Mel Roehrl WMA: 307 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Milton Kjeldahl WMA: 196 acres, 3.7 miles away
- North Fork WMA: 255 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Edward Raymond Mohs WMA: 336 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Bangor WMA: 80 acres, 4.7 miles away
- Tamarac WMA: 615 acres, 5.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Prairie Smoke WMA
Counting Prairie Smoke WMA itself, 666 of the 22,246 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 | 413 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 225 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 28 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Prairie Smoke WMA?
In Stearns County, near Brooten. The DNR's directions: 2.6 miles N of Brooten within W 1/2, Section 18, T124N, R35W. From the town of Brooten, travel on State Hwy 55, go north 2.6 miles on 493rd Ave. to access the WMA via one designated parking lot located on the east side of the road.
Which deer permit area is Prairie Smoke WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 218. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Prairie Smoke WMA?
666 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Prairie Smoke WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Mel Roehrl WMA (2.4 miles).
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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, Prairie Smoke 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.