Rost Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Rost Wildlife Management Area is 250 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 AccessRost WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 250 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 | Ivanhoe (3 mi), Arco (6 mi) and Taunton (9 mi) |
What can you hunt on Rost WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Rost WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Rost WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Rost WMA?
Rost WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 286. The DNR registered 588 deer in DPA 286 in 2025, against 497 in 2024.
| DPA | Rost WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 286 | 250 | 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 Rost WMA?
From Ivanhoe, go 4 miles E on SH 19 then 1 mile N on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Ivanhoe (3 miles), Arco (6 miles), Taunton (9 miles) and Minneota (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 19 and US 75. 6 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Rost WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Salix WMA: 86 acres, 0.6 miles away
- Poposki WMA: 287 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Rogge WMA: 105 acres, 2 miles away
- Muldental WMA: 27 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Bosque WMA: 289 acres, 3 miles away
- Thostenson WMA: 161 acres, 3.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rost WMA
Counting Rost WMA itself, 1,339 of the 25,058 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 707 |
| State wildlife management areas | 632 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rost WMA?
In Lincoln County, near Ivanhoe. The DNR's directions: From Ivanhoe, go 4 miles E on SH 19 then 1 mile N on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Rost WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 286. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Rost WMA?
1,339 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rost WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Salix WMA (0.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Rost 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.