Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Yellow Medicine County has 9,934 acres of public land open to the public, 2% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (6,826 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 40 wildlife management areas here covering 6,781 acres, the largest Sioux Nation WMA (487 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 26 sites of private land open to hunters, 3,129 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 280 (329 deer in 2025), DPA 281 (1,343 deer in 2025), DPA 279 (397 deer in 2025) and DPA 289 (558 deer in 2025).
Data updated October 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1. Wildlife Management Areas and Walk-In Access: the DNR's map layers, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessYellow Medicine CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 488,549 acres (763 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2% (9,934 acres) |
| WMAs | 40 (6,781 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 26 sites, 3,129 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 280, DPA 281, DPA 279, DPA 289 |
| Towns | Granite Falls, Canby, Porter, Clarkfield, Cottonwood and Montevideo |
How much public hunting land is in Yellow Medicine County?
9,934 of the county's 488,549 acres are public land open to the public (2%). 8,773 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Yellow Medicine County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 6,826 | 1.4% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,089 | 0.2% |
| State parks | 1,086 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 858 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 75 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 9,934 | 2% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). State wildlife management areas, state forest land and national forests are open to hunting in season; refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks allow hunting only in special hunts; national park land is closed to hunting; city and county parks set their own rules. PAD-US 4.1 leaves out most of the tax-forfeited land Minnesota counties manage, much of it open to hunting, so the public land here may be more than shown; the county land department has the maps.
The largest public areas in Yellow Medicine County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Yellow Medicine County Waterfowl Production Area (1,090 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Yellow Medicine County?
40, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Nation WMA | 487 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Bohemian WMA | 474 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Miller Richter WMA | 431 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Middle Antelope Valley WMA | 379 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Omro WMA | 331 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Tatley WMA | 323 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| James Meger WMA | 317 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Tyro WMA | 302 | mourning doves |
| Stoney Run WMA | 268 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Oshkosh WMA | 250 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| St. Leo WMA | 243 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Lower Antelope Valley WMA | 222 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Lanners WMA | 206 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Mound Springs WMA | 196 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Timm's Lake WMA | 182 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Upper Antelope Valley WMA | 161 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Siyo Waste WMA | 158 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Stokke WMA | 157 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Posen WMA | 155 | pheasants, ducks and geese and mourning doves |
| Benjamin Thovson Memorial WMA | 153 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Christopherson WMA | 143 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Reserve WMA | 137 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Big Rock WMA | 132 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Lisbon WMA | 100 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Roy Lenzen WMA | 100 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Swede Prairie WMA | 82 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Saum Memorial WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Myhre Slough WMA | 80 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Dennis Haaland WMA | 80 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Clawson WMA | 79 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Erie WMA | 69 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Spellman Lake WMA | 60 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Kaibab WMA | 54 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Teardrop WMA | 42 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and mourning doves |
| Archerville WMA | 40 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Flinks Slough WMA | 35 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Penthole WMA | 31 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Antler WMA | 21 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Hanson WMA | 12 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Gabriel Anderson WMA | 8 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Yellow Medicine County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 26 sites in Yellow Medicine County, 3,129 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Yellow Medicine WIA #867 (585 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Medicine WIA #867 | 585 | 44.8279, -95.5803 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #529 | 249 | 44.636, -96.3479 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #992 | 191 | 44.7362, -96.1484 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #979 | 158 | 44.6503, -96.1796 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #524 | 156 | 44.636, -96.3711 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #630 | 154 | 44.6931, -96.1394 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #966 | 140 | 44.6561, -96.0386 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #523 | 138 | 44.7228, -96.2107 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #1044 | 128 | 44.8352, -95.5733 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #967 | 125 | 44.6635, -96.2086 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #793 | 116 | 44.7141, -95.9182 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #833 | 115 | 44.7806, -96.2288 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #628 | 111 | 44.707, -96.2608 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #778 | 107 | 44.6576, -95.7644 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #1083 | 87 | 44.6539, -95.761 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #968 | 76 | 44.6923, -95.8316 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #978 | 73 | 44.6559, -95.3656 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #1119 | 67 | 44.7434, -96.3968 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #993 | 61 | 44.7653, -96.2915 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #1120 | 55 | 44.7279, -96.3887 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #522 | 54 | 44.7776, -96.11 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #548 | 41 | 44.6109, -95.5254 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #932 | 39 | 44.8609, -95.7847 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #410 | 39 | 44.7311, -96.2235 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #526 | 36 | 44.7319, -96.2185 |
| Yellow Medicine WIA #959 | 28 | 44.728, -96.2143 |
Locations are the middle of each site, from the DNR's 2026 layer. Landowners may leave the program during the year; the DNR's Walk-In Access page and its site status page have the current list.
How many deer are taken in Yellow Medicine County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Yellow Medicine County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 280 (50.9% of the county). Each figure below is for the whole permit area.
| DPA | Share of the county | Deer harvested in the whole DPA | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 280 | 50.9% | 329 | 2025 |
| DPA 281 | 22.4% | 1,343 | 2025 |
| DPA 279 | 16.1% | 397 | 2025 |
| DPA 289 | 10.6% | 558 | 2025 |
Harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report). Share of the county measured by FilledTag from the DNR's deer permit areas and the Census county line.
How do you get around Yellow Medicine County?
Highways: MN 67 (about 56 miles in the county), US 59 (about 18 miles in the county), MN 23 (about 17 miles in the county), MN 68 (about 17 miles in the county) and US 75 (about 14 miles in the county). Towns: Granite Falls, Canby, Porter, Clarkfield, Hazel Run, Wood Lake, Echo and St. Leo.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Yellow Medicine County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Yellow Medicine County Waterfowl Production Area (1,090 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 6,826 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Yellow Medicine County?
Sioux Nation WMA, with 487 acres inside the county. The county has 40 WMAs in all.
Does Yellow Medicine County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 26 sites and 3,129 acres in Yellow Medicine County.
Which deer permit area is Yellow Medicine County in?
DPA 280 (50.9%), DPA 281 (22.4%), DPA 279 (16.1%) and DPA 289 (10.6%). Bag limits and firearms dates follow the permit area.
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Where these numbers come from
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Wildlife Management Areas: Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible. Walk-In Access: Minnesota DNR Walk-In Access sites.
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
- County line: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads.
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps.
Minnesota hunting DPA 280 DPA 281 DPA 279 DPA 289 Lyon County Lincoln County Redwood County Chippewa County Renville County Lac qui Parle County Walk-In Access