Santer Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Santer Wildlife Management Area is 572 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Todd County, near Gutches Grove, inside Deer Permit Area 213. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 6,423 deer in DPA 213 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 AccessSanter WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 572 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Todd County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 213 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Gutches Grove |
| DNR area office | Little Falls |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Osakis (6 mi), West Union (8 mi) and Long Prairie (8 mi) |
What is Santer WMA like?
This WMA is 577 acres of grass fields, restored native grass fields, wetlands, restored wetlands, cattails, low land grass, brush, crop fields, and oak-popple wooded areas.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Santer WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Santer WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Santer WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Santer WMA: Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on designated routes and parking lots. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles are prohibited anywhere on the WMA, including on designated parking lots and access road.
How many deer are taken around Santer WMA?
Santer WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 213. The DNR registered 6,423 deer in DPA 213 in 2025, against 5,814 in 2024.
| DPA | Santer WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 213 | 572 | 6,423 | 5,814 | 5,058 |
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 Santer WMA?
From Gutches Grove, go 1.75 miles south on county road 11, then 3 miles west on county road 93.
Disabled access is limited to the township road and parking lot on the NE side of the WMA.
Nearest towns: Osakis (6 miles), West Union (8 miles), Long Prairie (8 miles) and Nelson (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 27.
What other public land is near Santer WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Owen-Hinz WMA: 332 acres, next to it
- Platt Lake WMA: 159 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Randall WMA: 58 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Hollister WMA: 82 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Quistorff WMA: 359 acres, 5.8 miles away
- Osakis WMA: 477 acres, 5.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Santer WMA
Counting Santer WMA itself, 1,230 of the 25,950 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 | 1,108 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 122 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Santer WMA?
In Todd County, near Gutches Grove. The DNR's directions: From Gutches Grove, go 1.75 miles south on county road 11, then 3 miles west on county road 93.
Which deer permit area is Santer WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 213. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Santer WMA?
1,230 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Santer WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Owen-Hinz WMA (next to it).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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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, Santer 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.