Victor Winter Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Victor Winter Wildlife Management Area is 160 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Stearns County, near Sauk Centre, inside Deer Permit Area 213. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 6,423 deer in DPA 213 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 areasVictor Winter WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 160 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Stearns County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 213 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Sauk Centre |
| DNR area office | Sauk Rapids |
| Nearest towns | West Union (3 mi), Westport (5 mi) and Sauk Centre (6 mi) |
What is Victor Winter WMA like?
This 160 acre WMA has the Ashley Creek flowing through it. Much of the uplands have been restored to prairie creating excellent nesting cover.
This area is an important wintering area for deer and pheasants and is part of a larger core wintering area.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Victor Winter WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Victor Winter WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Victor Winter WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Victor Winter WMA?
Victor Winter WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 213. The DNR registered 6,423 deer in DPA 213 in 2025, against 5,814 in 2024.
| DPA | Victor Winter WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 213 | 160 | 6,423 | 5,814 | 5,058 |
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 Victor Winter WMA?
5 miles west of Sauk Centre within Section 3, T126N, R35W.
Nearest towns: West Union (3 miles), Westport (5 miles), Sauk Centre (6 miles) and Osakis (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-94, US 52 and MN 28.
What other public land is near Victor Winter WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Miller WMA: 39 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Kuhtz Lake WMA: 21 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Herberger Lake WMA: 690 acres, 4.2 miles away
- West Union WMA: 243 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Aurzada Prairie WMA: 105 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Quistorff WMA: 359 acres, 5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Victor Winter WMA
Counting Victor Winter WMA itself, 819 of the 22,478 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 619 |
| State wildlife management areas | 200 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Victor Winter WMA?
In Stearns County, near Sauk Centre. The DNR's directions: 5 miles west of Sauk Centre within Section 3, T126N, R35W.
Which deer permit area is Victor Winter WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 213. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Victor Winter WMA?
819 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Victor Winter WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Miller WMA (0.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Victor Winter 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.