Spirit Prairie Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Spirit Prairie Wildlife Management Area is 173 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Stearns County, near Paynesville, inside Deer Permit Area 218. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants and small game for it. Hunters registered 3,769 deer in DPA 218 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 AccessSpirit Prairie WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 173 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Stearns County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 218 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Paynesville |
| DNR area office | Sauk Rapids |
| Nearest towns | Paynesville (next to it), Roscoe (3 mi) and Lake Henry (6 mi) |
What is Spirit Prairie WMA like?
This WMA is separated by a 43 acre parcel (north) and a 139 acre (south) parcel. Both tracts contain a wet/mesic brushland and native prairie community type. The area is an important wintering area for resident wildlife including deer and pheasants.
This WMA is part of a larger lowland prairie/brushland community type that follows the railroad corridor from Belgrade to Richmond. Much of this WMA was purchased and donated by the Paynesville Sportsmens Club.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Spirit Prairie WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants and small game for Spirit Prairie WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Spirit Prairie WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Spirit Prairie WMA?
Spirit Prairie WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 218. The DNR registered 3,769 deer in DPA 218 in 2025, against 3,553 in 2024.
| DPA | Spirit Prairie WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 218 | 173 | 3,769 | 3,553 | 3,092 |
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 Spirit Prairie WMA?
1 mile NE of Paynesville within Sections 3, 4 and 9, T122N, R32W.
Nearest towns: Paynesville (next to it), Roscoe (3 miles), Lake Henry (6 miles) and Regal (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 23, MN 4 and MN 55.
What other public land is near Spirit Prairie WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Partners WMA: 119 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Miller Spring Lea Farm WMA: 73 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Salem Comm Prairie WMA: 40 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Zion WMA: 214 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Paynesville Sportsmens Club WMA: 69 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Roseville WMA: 64 acres, 3.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Spirit Prairie WMA
Counting Spirit Prairie WMA itself, 982 of the 24,625 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 640 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 285 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 57 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Spirit Prairie WMA?
In Stearns County, near Paynesville. The DNR's directions: 1 mile NE of Paynesville within Sections 3, 4 and 9, T122N, R32W.
Which deer permit area is Spirit Prairie WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 218. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Spirit Prairie WMA?
982 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Spirit Prairie WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Partners WMA (0.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Spirit Prairie 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.