Vermilya Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Vermilya Wildlife Management Area is 198 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Olmsted County, near Dover, inside Deer Permit Area 643. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 3,469 deer in DPA 643 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 areasCounty, city and regional landVermilya WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 198 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Olmsted County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 643 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Dover |
| DNR area office | Rochester |
| Nearest towns | St. Charles (3 mi), Dover (4 mi) and Chatfield (7 mi) |
What is Vermilya WMA like?
This WMA has 75 acres of planted native prairie with the remaining being dominantly mesic oak forest. There is an impoundment on a small feeder creek to the Root River.
This unit is managed for deer, pheasants and turkeys. The planted prairie areas are managed by prescribed burns. The area provides good hunting for pheasants with some small game and deer hunting. Turkeys are also present.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Vermilya WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Vermilya WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Vermilya WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Vermilya WMA?
Vermilya WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 643. The DNR registered 3,469 deer in DPA 643 in 2025, against 3,028 in 2024.
| DPA | Vermilya WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 643 | 198 | 3,469 | 3,028 | 3,039 |
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 Vermilya WMA?
From Dover, go 2 miles S on County Road 10, then 2.25 miles E on 60th St SE, then 1 mile S on 195th Ave SE. Address of the parking lot is 6994 195th Ave SE, Dover, MN 55929.
Nearest towns: St. Charles (3 miles), Dover (4 miles), Chatfield (7 miles) and Utica (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-90, MN 74, US 14 and MN 30.
What other public land is near Vermilya WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- LLEIF's Land WMA: 147 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Whitewater WMA: 27,469 acres, 7.8 miles away
- William Pease WMA: 65 acres, 8.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Vermilya WMA
Counting Vermilya WMA itself, 269 of the 23,930 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 232 |
| County, city and regional land | 37 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Vermilya WMA?
In Olmsted County, near Dover. The DNR's directions: From Dover, go 2 miles S on County Road 10, then 2.25 miles E on 60th St SE, then 1 mile S on 195th Ave SE. Address of the parking lot is 6994 195th Ave SE, Dover, MN 55929.
Which deer permit area is Vermilya WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 643. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Vermilya WMA?
269 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Vermilya WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 3 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest LLEIF's Land WMA (5.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Vermilya 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.