Tatley Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Tatley Wildlife Management Area is 323 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Yellow Medicine County, near Hendricks, inside Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 397 deer in DPA 279 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 AccessTatley WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 323 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Yellow Medicine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 279 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Hendricks |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Hendricks (9 mi), Canby (9 mi) and Porter (13 mi) |
What can you hunt on Tatley WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Tatley WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Tatley WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Tatley WMA?
Tatley WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR registered 397 deer in DPA 279 in 2025, against 370 in 2024.
| DPA | Tatley WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 279 | 323 | 397 | 370 | 358 |
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 Tatley WMA?
From Hendricks, go 9 miles N on SH 271 and CSAH 1, then 0.5 miles W on township road to the northeast corner of the WMA.
Nearest towns: Hendricks (9 miles), Canby (9 miles), Porter (13 miles) and Ivanhoe (15 miles). 2 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Tatley WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Minn-kota WMA: 138 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Bohemian WMA: 664 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Saum Memorial WMA: 81 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Sioux Nation WMA: 487 acres, 2 miles away
- Penthole WMA: 31 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Hansonville WMA: 35 acres, 2.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Tatley WMA
Counting Tatley WMA itself, 1,778 of the 24,178 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 | 1,725 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 53 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Tatley WMA?
In Yellow Medicine County, near Hendricks. The DNR's directions: From Hendricks, go 9 miles N on SH 271 and CSAH 1, then 0.5 miles W on township road to the northeast corner of the WMA.
Which deer permit area is Tatley WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 279. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Tatley WMA?
1,778 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Tatley WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Minn-kota WMA (0.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Tatley 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.