Shaokatan Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Shaokatan Wildlife Management Area is 487 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 AccessShaokatan WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 487 acres |
|---|---|
| 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 | Hendricks (4 mi), Ivanhoe (7 mi) and Arco (11 mi) |
What is Shaokatan WMA like?
This WMA is a wetland/prairie complex in an agricultural landscape.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Shaokatan WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Shaokatan WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Shaokatan WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Shaokatan WMA?
Shaokatan WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 286. The DNR registered 588 deer in DPA 286 in 2025, against 497 in 2024.
| DPA | Shaokatan WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 286 | 487 | 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 Shaokatan WMA?
From Ivanhoe, go 7 miles W on SH 19 then 1/2 mile S on township rd.
Duck Boat Access.
Nearest towns: Hendricks (4 miles), Ivanhoe (7 miles), Arco (11 miles) and Lake Benton (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 19 and MN 271. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Shaokatan WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Blue Wing WMA: 108 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Expectation WMA: 46 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Kvernmo WMA: 205 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Legacy WMA: 165 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Hendricks WMA: 116 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Anderson Lake WMA: 591 acres, 3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Shaokatan WMA
Counting Shaokatan WMA itself, 1,085 of the 25,778 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,014 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 71 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Shaokatan WMA?
In Lincoln County, near Ivanhoe. The DNR's directions: From Ivanhoe, go 7 miles W on SH 19 then 1/2 mile S on township rd.
Which deer permit area is Shaokatan WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 286. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Shaokatan WMA?
1,085 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Shaokatan WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Blue Wing WMA (2.1 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Shaokatan 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.