Volkman Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Volkman Wildlife Management Area is 276 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Pope County, near Villard, inside Deer Permit Area 213. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, 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 areasVolkman WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 276 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Pope County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 213 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Villard |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Villard (2 mi), Forada (4 mi) and Westport (6 mi) |
What is Volkman WMA like?
This WMA consists of three, nearby tracts located in the Hardwood Hills Landscape. Emergent wetlands and cool season domestic grasses are the predominate cover types, but each parcel has open water and lowland shrubs, too.
The emergent wetlands consist mostly of cattail that provides winter cover for resident wildlife. The extensive cattails provide nesting cover for blackbirds and other species. Crowing rooster pheasants are common. Look for wood ducks, mallards, and green herons in the wetlands.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Volkman WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Volkman WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Volkman WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Volkman WMA?
Volkman WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 213. The DNR registered 6,423 deer in DPA 213 in 2025, against 5,814 in 2024.
| DPA | Volkman WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 213 | 276 | 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 Volkman WMA?
From Villard, go 1 mile N on CSAH 28 then 2 miles NW on CSAH 27.
Nearest towns: Villard (2 miles), Forada (4 miles), Westport (6 miles) and Glenwood (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 29 and MN 28.
What other public land is near Volkman WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Engelbrecht WMA: 316 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Forada WMA: 829 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Kuhtz Lake WMA: 21 acres, 6.2 miles away
- Herberger Lake WMA: 690 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Westport WMA: 399 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Blair Pond WMA: 32 acres, 7.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Volkman WMA
Counting Volkman WMA itself, 1,336 of the 27,378 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,129 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 207 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Volkman WMA?
In Pope County, near Villard. The DNR's directions: From Villard, go 1 mile N on CSAH 28 then 2 miles NW on CSAH 27.
Which deer permit area is Volkman WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 213. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Volkman WMA?
1,336 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Volkman WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Engelbrecht WMA (0.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Volkman 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.