Skoog Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Skoog Wildlife Management Area is 189 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Big Stone County, near Barry, inside Deer Permit Area 274. The DNR's WMA data lists ducks and geese for it. Hunters registered 495 deer in DPA 274 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 areasSkoog WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 189 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Big Stone County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 274 |
| DNR lists for hunting | ducks and geese |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Barry |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Barry (2 mi), Clinton (5 mi) and Graceville (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Skoog WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists ducks and geese for Skoog WMA. Each follows the statewide season.
What are the rules on Skoog WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Skoog WMA?
Skoog WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 274. The DNR registered 495 deer in DPA 274 in 2025, against 453 in 2024.
| DPA | Skoog WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 274 | 189 | 495 | 453 | 402 |
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 Skoog WMA?
From Barry, go 2 miles E on SH 28 then 3 miles S on Co Rd 61 then.5 mile W on Trail.
Nearest towns: Barry (2 miles), Clinton (5 miles), Graceville (5 miles) and Beardsley (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 28 and US 75.
What other public land is near Skoog WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Taffe WMA: 237 acres, next to it
- Allen WMA: 46 acres, 2.9 miles away
- West Toqua WMA: 44 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Mallard Hole WMA: 156 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Wesley E. Olson WMA: 198 acres, 5.7 miles away
- Foley WMA: 110 acres, 6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Skoog WMA
Counting Skoog WMA itself, 1,606 of the 25,074 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,170 |
| State wildlife management areas | 436 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Skoog WMA?
In Big Stone County, near Barry. The DNR's directions: From Barry, go 2 miles E on SH 28 then 3 miles S on Co Rd 61 then.5 mile W on Trail.
Which deer permit area is Skoog WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 274. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Skoog WMA?
1,606 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Skoog WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Taffe WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Skoog 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.