St. Leo Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
St. Leo Wildlife Management Area is 243 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Yellow Medicine County, near St. Leo, inside Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 329 deer in DPA 280 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 areasWalk-In AccessSt. Leo WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 243 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Yellow Medicine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 280 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | St. Leo |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | St. Leo (4 mi), Boyd (9 mi) and Dawson (10 mi) |
What can you hunt on St. Leo WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for St. Leo WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on St. Leo WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around St. Leo WMA?
St. Leo WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025, against 359 in 2024.
| DPA | St. Leo WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 243 | 329 | 359 | 308 |
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 St. Leo WMA?
From St. Leo, go 4 miles N on CSAH 11.
Nearest towns: St. Leo (4 miles), Boyd (9 miles), Dawson (10 miles) and Canby (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 67. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near St. Leo WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Miller Richter WMA: 431 acres, next to it
- Big Rock WMA: 132 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Teardrop WMA: 42 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Kaibab WMA: 54 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Oshkosh WMA: 250 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Omro WMA: 331 acres, 2.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of St. Leo WMA
Counting St. Leo WMA itself, 1,279 of the 27,543 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,279 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is St. Leo WMA?
In Yellow Medicine County, near St. Leo. The DNR's directions: From St. Leo, go 4 miles N on CSAH 11.
Which deer permit area is St. Leo WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 280. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around St. Leo WMA?
1,279 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, St. Leo WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Miller Richter WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, St. Leo 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.