Wachter Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Wachter Wildlife Management Area is 473 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Nobles County, near Worthington, inside Deer Permit Area 237. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 301 deer in DPA 237 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 areasWachter WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 473 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Nobles County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 237 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Worthington |
| DNR area office | Slayton-Talcot Lake |
| Nearest towns | Bigelow (4 mi), Round Lake (6 mi) and Worthington (6 mi) |
What is Wachter WMA like?
This WMA contains three small wetlands bordered by open grasslands.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Wachter WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Wachter WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Wachter WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Wachter WMA?
Wachter WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 237. The DNR registered 301 deer in DPA 237 in 2025, against 332 in 2024.
| DPA | Wachter WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 237 | 473 | 301 | 332 | 359 |
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 Wachter WMA?
From Worthington, go 6 miles south on co rd 7, then.5 miles east on co rd 4.
There is a carry-in water access to one of the wetlands.
Nearest towns: Bigelow (4 miles), Round Lake (6 miles), Worthington (6 miles) and Rushmore (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 60 and US 59.
What other public land is near Wachter WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Lake Bella WMA: 359 acres, next to it
- Peterson WMA: 325 acres, next to it
- John Erickson WMA: 121 acres, next to it
- James Willey WMA: 138 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Bigelow WMA: 234 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Lambert Prairie WMA: 306 acres, 6.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Wachter WMA
Counting Wachter WMA itself, 1,490 of the 27,826 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,417 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 73 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Wachter WMA?
In Nobles County, near Worthington. The DNR's directions: From Worthington, go 6 miles south on co rd 7, then.5 miles east on co rd 4.
Which deer permit area is Wachter WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 237. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Wachter WMA?
1,490 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Wachter WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Lake Bella WMA (next to it).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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, Wachter 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.