Smith Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Smith Wildlife Management Area is 337 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Faribault County, near Delavan, inside Deer Permit Area 253. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 854 deer in DPA 253 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 areasSmith WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 337 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Faribault County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 253 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Delavan |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Delavan (5 mi), Amboy (6 mi) and Winnebago (7 mi) |
What is Smith WMA like?
A restored prairie wetland complex with an upland forest component.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Smith WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game for Smith WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Smith WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Smith WMA?
Smith WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 253. The DNR registered 854 deer in DPA 253 in 2025, against 785 in 2024.
| DPA | Smith WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 253 | 337 | 854 | 785 | 845 |
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 Smith WMA?
N 2 1/2 miles on CSAH 13 then 2 1/2 miles W on CSAH 16 then 2 miles N on Twp Rd.
A parking lot is available from 0.20 miles east from 405th Ave on the North end of the WMA.
Nearest towns: Delavan (5 miles), Amboy (6 miles), Winnebago (7 miles) and Mapleton (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 30, MN 109 and US 169.
What other public land is near Smith WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Rice Lake WMA: 198 acres, 2 miles away
- George & Elizabeth Lang WMA: 134 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Charlotte Hynes WMA: 72 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Maple River WMA: 492 acres, 8.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Smith WMA
Counting Smith WMA itself, 469 of the 25,869 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 363 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 106 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Smith WMA?
In Faribault County, near Delavan. The DNR's directions: N 2 1/2 miles on CSAH 13 then 2 1/2 miles W on CSAH 16 then 2 miles N on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Smith WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 253. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Smith WMA?
469 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Smith WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 4 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Rice Lake WMA (2 miles).
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, Smith 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.