Upper Antelope Valley Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Upper Antelope Valley Wildlife Management Area is 161 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Yellow Medicine County, near Canby, inside Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 329 deer in DPA 280 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 areasWalk-In AccessUpper Antelope Valley WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 161 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Yellow Medicine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 280 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Canby |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Porter (4 mi), Canby (5 mi) and St. Leo (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Upper Antelope Valley WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game for Upper Antelope Valley WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Upper Antelope Valley WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Upper Antelope Valley WMA?
Upper Antelope Valley WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 280. The DNR registered 329 deer in DPA 280 in 2025, against 359 in 2024.
| DPA | Upper Antelope Valley WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 161 | 329 | 359 | 308 |
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 Upper Antelope Valley WMA?
From Canby, go 2 miles southeast on State Highway 68 then 4.5 miles east on County Highway 29 then 0.5 miles north on County Highway 12. The WMA is on the west side of Highway 12.
Nearest towns: Porter (4 miles), Canby (5 miles), St. Leo (5 miles) and Taunton (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 68 and US 75. 7 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Upper Antelope Valley WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Middle Antelope Valley WMA: 379 acres, next to it
- Benjamin Thovson Memorial WMA: 153 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Reserve WMA: 137 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Lower Antelope Valley WMA: 222 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Oshkosh WMA: 250 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Antler WMA: 173 acres, 4.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Upper Antelope Valley WMA
Counting Upper Antelope Valley WMA itself, 861 of the 23,232 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 861 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Upper Antelope Valley WMA?
In Yellow Medicine County, near Canby. The DNR's directions: From Canby, go 2 miles southeast on State Highway 68 then 4.5 miles east on County Highway 29 then 0.5 miles north on County Highway 12. The WMA is on the west side of Highway 12.
Which deer permit area is Upper Antelope Valley WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 280. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Upper Antelope Valley WMA?
861 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Upper Antelope Valley WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Middle Antelope Valley WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Upper Antelope Valley 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.