Tympanuchus Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Tympanuchus Wildlife Management Area is 848 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Polk County, near Crookston, inside Deer Permit Area 256. The DNR's WMA data lists deer and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,042 deer in DPA 256 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasCounty, city and regional landTympanuchus WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 848 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Polk County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 256 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Crookston |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Crookston (9 mi), Beltrami (10 mi) and Fertile (12 mi) |
What is Tympanuchus WMA like?
Tympanuchus WMA is 840 acres of remnant tall grass prairie with minor amounts of brush and trees. The terrain is generally flat except for the low glacial Lake Agassiz beach ridges. The area is managed as prairie and for prairie species.
This WMA is open to public hunting, trapping and other compatible recreational uses. The unit has been posted with WMA signs. Access is by a county road on the north side. The parking lot and a routed wood unit sign are adjacent to this road. Prairie plants such as blazingstars and purple coneflower can be found here, and wildlife such as prairie chickens can be spotted.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Tympanuchus WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer and small game for Tympanuchus WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Tympanuchus WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Tympanuchus WMA?
Tympanuchus WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 256. The DNR registered 1,042 deer in DPA 256 in 2025, against 1,033 in 2024.
| DPA | Tympanuchus WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 256 | 848 | 1,042 | 1,033 | 867 |
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 Tympanuchus WMA?
From Crookston, take U.S. Hwy 2 east to SH 102. Southeast 5.5 mi on SH 102 to County Road 45. East 3 mi on CR 45. Parking lots are located north and east central.
Disabled access is limited to adjacent roads and the parking lot.
Nearest towns: Crookston (9 miles), Beltrami (10 miles), Fertile (12 miles) and Mentor (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 102 and US 2.
What other public land is near Tympanuchus WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Thorson Prairie WMA: 1,108 acres, next to it
- Kertsonville WMA: 371 acres, 1 mile away
- Burnham WMA: 990 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Chicog WMA: 2,432 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Trail WMA: 609 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Dugdale WMA: 960 acres, 5.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Tympanuchus WMA
Counting Tympanuchus WMA itself, 3,430 of the 28,861 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,328 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,005 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 97 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Tympanuchus WMA?
In Polk County, near Crookston. The DNR's directions: From Crookston, take U.S. Hwy 2 east to SH 102. Southeast 5.5 mi on SH 102 to County Road 45. East 3 mi on CR 45. Parking lots are located north and east central.
Which deer permit area is Tympanuchus WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 256. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Tympanuchus WMA?
3,430 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Tympanuchus WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Thorson Prairie WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Tympanuchus 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.