Sioux Nation Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Sioux Nation Wildlife Management Area is 487 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Yellow Medicine County, near Canby, inside Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 397 deer in DPA 279 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 AccessSioux Nation WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 487 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Yellow Medicine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 279 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Canby |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Canby (8 mi), Hendricks (11 mi) and Porter (13 mi) |
What can you hunt on Sioux Nation WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Sioux Nation WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Sioux Nation WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Sioux Nation WMA?
Sioux Nation WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR registered 397 deer in DPA 279 in 2025, against 370 in 2024.
| DPA | Sioux Nation WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 279 | 487 | 397 | 370 | 358 |
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 Sioux Nation WMA?
From Canby, go 7 miles W on SH 68 then 2 miles S on CSAH 15.
Nearest towns: Canby (8 miles), Hendricks (11 miles), Porter (13 miles) and Ivanhoe (17 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 68. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Sioux Nation WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Penthole WMA: 31 acres, 0.6 miles away
- Saum Memorial WMA: 81 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Tatley WMA: 323 acres, 2 miles away
- Bohemian WMA: 664 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Minn-kota WMA: 138 acres, 3 miles away
- Archerville WMA: 237 acres, 5.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Sioux Nation WMA
Counting Sioux Nation WMA itself, 1,475 of the 27,229 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,161 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 314 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Sioux Nation WMA?
In Yellow Medicine County, near Canby. The DNR's directions: From Canby, go 7 miles W on SH 68 then 2 miles S on CSAH 15.
Which deer permit area is Sioux Nation WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 279. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Sioux Nation WMA?
1,475 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Sioux Nation WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Penthole WMA (0.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Sioux Nation 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.