Taffe Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Taffe Wildlife Management Area is 237 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 deer, pheasants and 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 areasTaffe WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 237 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Big Stone County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 274 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Barry |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Barry (2 mi), Clinton (6 mi) and Graceville (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Taffe WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants and ducks and geese for Taffe WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Taffe WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Taffe WMA?
Taffe WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 274. The DNR registered 495 deer in DPA 274 in 2025, against 453 in 2024.
| DPA | Taffe WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 274 | 237 | 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 Taffe WMA?
From Barry, go 3 miles S on CSAH 7.
Nearest towns: Barry (2 miles), Clinton (6 miles), Graceville (6 miles) and Beardsley (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 28 and US 75.
What other public land is near Taffe WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Skoog WMA: 189 acres, next to it
- Allen WMA: 46 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Mallard Hole WMA: 156 acres, 2.7 miles away
- West Toqua WMA: 44 acres, 4 miles away
- Foley WMA: 110 acres, 5.8 miles away
- Wesley E. Olson WMA: 198 acres, 6.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Taffe WMA
Counting Taffe WMA itself, 1,456 of the 24,383 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 965 |
| State wildlife management areas | 491 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Taffe WMA?
In Big Stone County, near Barry. The DNR's directions: From Barry, go 3 miles S on CSAH 7.
Which deer permit area is Taffe WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 274. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Taffe WMA?
1,456 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Taffe WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Skoog WMA (next to it).
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, Taffe 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.