Viking Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Viking Wildlife Management Area is 198 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Douglas County, near Kensington, inside Deer Permit Area 273. The DNR's WMA data lists ducks and geese for it. Hunters registered 1,013 deer in DPA 273 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 areasViking WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 198 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Douglas County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 273 |
| DNR lists for hunting | ducks and geese |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Kensington |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Hoffman (4 mi), Kensington (6 mi) and Brandon (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Viking WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists ducks and geese for Viking WMA. Each follows the statewide season.
What are the rules on Viking WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Viking WMA?
Viking WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 273. The DNR registered 1,013 deer in DPA 273 in 2025, against 978 in 2024.
| DPA | Viking WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 273 | 198 | 1,013 | 978 | 968 |
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 Viking WMA?
From Kensington, go 6 miles N on CSAH 1.
Nearest towns: Hoffman (4 miles), Kensington (6 miles), Brandon (8 miles) and Farwell (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 27 and MN 55.
What other public land is near Viking WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Schnepf WMA: 91 acres, next to it
- Red Rock Lake WMA: 167 acres, next to it
- Lake Venus WMA: 91 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Roy L Thompson WMA: 216 acres, 0.6 miles away
- Eng Lake WMA: 23 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Urness WMA: 265 acres, 2.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Viking WMA
Counting Viking WMA itself, 2,818 of the 24,774 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,915 |
| State wildlife management areas | 903 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Viking WMA?
In Douglas County, near Kensington. The DNR's directions: From Kensington, go 6 miles N on CSAH 1.
Which deer permit area is Viking WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 273. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Viking WMA?
2,818 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Viking WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Schnepf 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, Viking 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.