Swessinger Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Swessinger Wildlife Management Area is 713 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Nobles County, near Wilmont, inside Deer Permit Area 237. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 301 deer in DPA 237 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 areasWalk-In AccessSwessinger WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 713 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Nobles County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 237 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Wilmont |
| DNR area office | Slayton-Talcot Lake |
| Nearest towns | Wilmont (3 mi), Iona (6 mi) and Lismore (9 mi) |
What is Swessinger WMA like?
This WMA contains marshes and restored prairie.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Swessinger WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Swessinger WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Swessinger WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Swessinger WMA?
Swessinger WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 237. The DNR registered 301 deer in DPA 237 in 2025, against 332 in 2024.
| DPA | Swessinger WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 237 | 713 | 301 | 332 | 359 |
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 Swessinger WMA?
From Wilmont, go 4 miles north on County Road 13, then 2 miles east on 120th St.
Nearest towns: Wilmont (3 miles), Iona (6 miles), Lismore (9 miles) and Fulda (9 miles). 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Swessinger WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Einck WMA: 50 acres, 1 mile away
- County Line WMA: 322 acres, 1.2 miles away
- Fenmont WMA: 517 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Scheuring WMA: 58 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Groth WMA: 171 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Cleanwater WMA: 38 acres, 2.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Swessinger WMA
Counting Swessinger WMA itself, 2,017 of the 27,203 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,760 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 257 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Swessinger WMA?
In Nobles County, near Wilmont. The DNR's directions: From Wilmont, go 4 miles north on County Road 13, then 2 miles east on 120th St.
Which deer permit area is Swessinger WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 237. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Swessinger WMA?
2,017 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Swessinger WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Einck WMA (1 mile).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Swessinger 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.