Wisneski Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Wisneski Wildlife Management Area is 164 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Benton County, near Rice, inside Deer Permit Area 221. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,908 deer in DPA 221 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 areasState forest and other DNR landWisneski WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 164 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Benton County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 221 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Rice |
| DNR area office | Little Falls |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Rice (6 mi), Gilman (8 mi) and St. Stephen (8 mi) |
What is Wisneski WMA like?
This WMA is wetland with cattails, low land grass, brush and oak-aspen forested areas.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Wisneski WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Wisneski WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Wisneski WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Wisneski WMA: Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on designated routes and parking lots. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles are prohibited anywhere on the WMA, including on designated parking lots and access road.
How many deer are taken around Wisneski WMA?
Wisneski WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 221. The DNR registered 4,908 deer in DPA 221 in 2025, against 4,438 in 2024.
| DPA | Wisneski WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 221 | 164 | 4,908 | 4,438 | 4,050 |
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 Wisneski WMA?
From Rice, go 5 miles east on county road 2, then 0.5 miles north on township road.
Disabled access is limited to the township road. No parking lot on this WMA.
Nearest towns: Rice (6 miles), Gilman (8 miles), St. Stephen (8 miles) and Buckman (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 10 and MN 25.
What other public land is near Wisneski WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Benton WMA: 82 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Sartell WMA: 368 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Graham WMA: 401 acres, 5 miles away
- Michaelson Farm WMA: 259 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Rice Area Sportsmens Club WMA: 580 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Coon Lake Marsh WMA: 54 acres, 8.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Wisneski WMA
Counting Wisneski WMA itself, 286 of the 22,060 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 246 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 40 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Wisneski WMA?
In Benton County, near Rice. The DNR's directions: From Rice, go 5 miles east on county road 2, then 0.5 miles north on township road.
Which deer permit area is Wisneski WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 221. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Wisneski WMA?
286 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Wisneski WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Benton WMA (2.2 miles).
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, Wisneski 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.