Rothsay Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Rothsay Wildlife Management Area is 4,085 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Wilkin County, near Rothsay, inside Deer Permit Areas 269 and 270. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 464 deer in DPA 269 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 areasWalk-In AccessRothsay WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,085 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Wilkin County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 269, DPA 270 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Rothsay |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Rothsay (3 mi), Barnesville (7 mi) and Elizabeth (11 mi) |
What can you hunt on Rothsay WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Rothsay WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Rothsay WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Rothsay WMA?
Rothsay WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 464 deer in DPA 269 in 2025, against 418 in 2024.
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 Rothsay WMA?
From Rothsay, go 6 miles W on CSAH 26 then 5 miles N on CSAH 15 to the unit which will be on the right hand side of the road. From Rothsay, go 6 miles W on CSAH 26 then 2 miles N on CSAH 15 then 2 miles E on TWP RD.
Access and parking in several locations on the Rothsay complex. Access to the Gordy Nielson tract is on the west side via 290th Ave. Access on north side of the unit off of highway 40. Access from numerous locations around the perimeter of the unit, as well as parking are on north side of Swamp unit via 160th St.
Nearest towns: Rothsay (3 miles), Barnesville (7 miles), Elizabeth (11 miles) and Foxhome (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-94, US 52, MN 9 and MN 108. 13 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Rothsay WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Atherton WMA: 523 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Akron WMA: 81 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Rogelstad Swanson WMA: 632 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Andrea WMA: 110 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Oscar WMA: 83 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Manston Marsh WMA: 2,731 acres, 5.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rothsay WMA
Counting Rothsay WMA itself, 5,449 of the 59,392 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 4,634 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 670 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 145 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rothsay WMA?
In Wilkin County, near Rothsay. The DNR's directions: From Rothsay, go 6 miles W on CSAH 26 then 5 miles N on CSAH 15 to the unit which will be on the right hand side of the road. From Rothsay, go 6 miles W on CSAH 26 then 2 miles N on CSAH 15 then 2 miles E on TWP RD.
Which deer permit area is Rothsay WMA in?
DPA 269 (3,427 acres) and DPA 270 (658 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Rothsay WMA?
5,449 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rothsay WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Atherton WMA (1.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Rothsay 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.