Turtle Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Turtle Creek Wildlife Management Area is 320 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Todd County, near Browerville, inside Deer Permit Area 214. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,781 deer in DPA 214 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 landState parksTurtle Creek WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 320 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Todd County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 214 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Browerville |
| DNR area office | Little Falls |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Browerville (5 mi), Clarissa (8 mi) and Long Prairie (10 mi) |
What is Turtle Creek WMA like?
This WMA contains the Mud Lake wetland with cattails, low land grass and brush. Management of this unit focuses on maintaining and improving the wetland and habitat for a diversity of native plants and wildlife.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Turtle Creek WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Turtle Creek WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Turtle Creek WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Turtle Creek WMA: Limited parking. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on designated routes and parking lots. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles are prohibited anywhere on the WMA.
How many deer are taken around Turtle Creek WMA?
Turtle Creek WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 214. The DNR registered 4,781 deer in DPA 214 in 2025, against 4,380 in 2024.
| DPA | Turtle Creek WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 214 | 320 | 4,781 | 4,380 | 4,063 |
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 Turtle Creek WMA?
From Browerville, go 5 miles east, north, and east on county road 16.
Disabled access is limited to the township roads. No parking lots on this site.
Nearest towns: Browerville (5 miles), Clarissa (8 miles), Long Prairie (10 miles) and Eagle Bend (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 71.
What other public land is near Turtle Creek WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Long Prairie River WMA: 965 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Sheets Lake WMA: 132 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Hartford WMA: 162 acres, 3 miles away
- Kobliska WMA: 411 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Ruff-Nik WMA: 1,060 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Little Elk WMA: 1,477 acres, 7.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Turtle Creek WMA
Counting Turtle Creek WMA itself, 1,138 of the 24,620 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 | 945 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 190 |
| State parks | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Turtle Creek WMA?
In Todd County, near Browerville. The DNR's directions: From Browerville, go 5 miles east, north, and east on county road 16.
Which deer permit area is Turtle Creek WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 214. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Turtle Creek WMA?
1,138 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Turtle Creek WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Long Prairie River WMA (2.2 miles).
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, Turtle Creek 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.