Valleau Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Valleau Wildlife Management Area is 309 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Jackson County, near Heron Lake, inside Deer Permit Area 250. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 505 deer in DPA 250 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 areasValleau WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 309 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 250 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Heron Lake |
| DNR area office | Windom |
| Nearest towns | Heron Lake (next to it), Okabena (3 mi) and Kinbrae (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Valleau WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Valleau WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Valleau WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Valleau WMA?
Valleau WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 250. The DNR registered 505 deer in DPA 250 in 2025, against 479 in 2024.
| DPA | Valleau WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 250 | 309 | 505 | 479 | 497 |
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 Valleau WMA?
From Heron Lake, go 1 mile SW on SH 60.
Nearest towns: Heron Lake (next to it), Okabena (3 miles), Kinbrae (7 miles) and Dundee (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 60.
What other public land is near Valleau WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Heron Meadows WMA: 200 acres, next to it
- Crosse WMA: 67 acres, next to it
- Heron Lake WMA: 865 acres, 1 mile away
- Libra WMA: 29 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Graham Creek WMA: 90 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Oxbow WMA: 332 acres, 3.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Valleau WMA
Counting Valleau WMA itself, 1,190 of the 25,168 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,107 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 83 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Valleau WMA?
In Jackson County, near Heron Lake. The DNR's directions: From Heron Lake, go 1 mile SW on SH 60.
Which deer permit area is Valleau WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 250. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Valleau WMA?
1,190 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Valleau WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Heron Meadows 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, Valleau 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.