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Minnesota WMA
Hole-In-Mountain Wildlife Management Area: seasons, rules and access
639 acres of wildlife management area ground in Lincoln County, deer permit area 294.
Photo: kjell (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Hole-In-Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Hole-In-Mountain Wildlife Management Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Hole-In-Mountain WMA on paper: the record in brief
Hole-In-Mountain WMA covers 639 acres in Lincoln County. Among Lincoln County’s 62 wildlife management areas, it sits 3rd for acres. The 2026 deer designation for DPA 294 is either-sex.
Management sits with the Marshall area wildlife staff, reachable at marshall.wildlife@state.mn.us.
Hunted here: deer, small game, pheasant, mourning dove.
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Hole-In-Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Getting into Hole-In-Mountain WMA
Directions and parking for Hole-In-Mountain WMA as the DNR detail pages give them (0 parking points mapped).
| Piece | Acres | Town | Status | Lots | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hole-In-Mountain WMA | 639 | Lake Benton | Open | – | DNR |
- Hole-In-Mountain WMA: From Lake Benton, go 2 miles S on US 75
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Use rules to read before hunting Hole-In-Mountain WMA
Hole-In-Mountain WMA follows the rules below on top of the statewide booklet.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Hunting, trapping | Regular seasons |
| Vehicles | Designated roads, lots |
| Target shooting | Not allowed |
| Guns in transit | Cased, unloaded |
| Camping | Designated or permit |
| Portable stands, blinds | Remove daily |
| Overnight stands, northwest | Nov 1-Dec 31 |
| Dogs | Leash Apr 16-Jul 14 |
| Drones | Not allowed |
| Gear left overnight | Not allowed |
Sources: record, agency rules; booklet: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Hole-In-Mountain WMA deer rules: DPA 294
DPA 294 is a 200-series area set to either-sex for 2026. A buck or a doe both count in DPA 294 this year.
| Deer season | Opening | Closing | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Youth deer | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Firearms, 200 series | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Muzzleloader | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 |
Surveillance block: bring adult deer taken Nov. 7-8 for sampling. At 690 square miles, DPA 294 is the unit deer rules follow. DPA 294 overlaps Pipestone, Murray, Lincoln and Lyon.
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Hole-In-Mountain WMA dates, species by species
Season rows matched to Hole-In-Mountain WMA by its game species list; trapping-only seasons are on the species pages.
| Species | Hunt | Zone | First day | Last day | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | DPA 294 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPA 294 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 200 series | DPA 294 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Ruffed, spruce grouse | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Rabbits, hares | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Jackrabbit | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Take-a-Kid | Take-a-Kid | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Raccoon, foxes | Hunting (north) | North furbearer zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Badger, opossum, weasels | Hunting (north) | North furbearer zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon, foxes | Hunting (south) | South furbearer zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Badger, opossum, weasels | Hunting (south) | South furbearer zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunt and trap (north) | North furbearer zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Dec 15, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunt and trap (south) | South furbearer zone | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Mar 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
Zone rows for ducks and furbearers depend on map lines, not on this unit; DNR draws them along highways.
From the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026. All Minnesota seasons.
Harvest trend near Hole-In-Mountain WMA
In 2025 hunters registered 472 deer across DPA 294 (0.69 per square mile); the table runs back to 2017.
| Season | Adult males | Antlerless and fawns | DPA total | Deer per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 323 | 149 | 472 | 0.69 |
| 2024 | 312 | 150 | 462 | 0.67 |
| 2023 | 272 | 189 | 461 | 0.67 |
| 2022 | 355 | 191 | 546 | 0.80 |
| 2021 | 379 | 221 | 600 | 0.88 |
| 2020 | 354 | 214 | 568 | 0.83 |
| 2019 | 398 | 166 | 564 | 0.82 |
| 2018 | 327 | 243 | 570 | 0.83 |
| 2017 | 343 | 242 | 585 | 0.85 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
Hole-In-Mountain WMA and the public ground around it
Straight-line distances run from the Hole-In-Mountain WMA map point; Altona WMA (2.3 mi, south) leads the list.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | DPA | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altona WMA | WMA | 637 | 294 | 2.3 mi | south |
| Schindel WMA | WMA | 156 | 294 | 3.1 mi | west |
| Coteau Pit WMA | WMA | 81 | 294 | 3.5 mi | southeast |
| Benton Lake AMA | AMA | 22 | 286 | 4.1 mi | northeast |
| Sioux Lookout WMA | WMA | 83 | 286 | 4.5 mi | north |
| Winter WMA | WMA | 976 | 294 | 6.7 mi | southwest |
| Chen Bay WMA | WMA | 414 | 286 | 6.9 mi | northeast |
| Fox WPA | WPA | 146 | 286 | 6.9 mi | north |
Points: DNR WMA detail page map point (Compass feature_detail). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Lincoln County around Hole-In-Mountain WMA
In Lincoln County there are 83 records like Hole-In-Mountain WMA to choose from. For bear, Lincoln County is no-quota. Turkey permit area 504 covers the county. Marshall Area Wildlife Office (Marshall) is the closest area wildlife office to the county centre.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Gas, food and processors near Hole-In-Mountain WMA
Closest town: Lake Benton, 2.7 mi in a straight line from Hole-In-Mountain WMA. Most services: Tyler, population 1,102. The unit page lists Lake Benton as nearest town. The nearest DNR office is Marshall Area Wildlife Office in Marshall, 32 mi away.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Benton | Lincoln | 678 | 2.7 mi | north |
| Tyler | Lincoln | 1,102 | 9.2 mi | northeast |
| Ruthton | Pipestone | 217 | 11 mi | east |
| Holland | Pipestone | 173 | 11 mi | southeast |
| Florence | Lyon | 21 | 13 mi | east |
Towns from the 2024 Census gazetteer and population estimates; offices and businesses from services.json (DNR and business listings, chain stores and license agents left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 28, 2026.
Before Hole-In-Mountain Wildlife Management Area: where to check a zero
Hunters on Hole-In-Mountain Wildlife Management Area can sight in at Pipestone Sportsmen's Club (14 miles), the nearest listing. Target shooting is not allowed on the property itself.
From the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 28, 2026; target shooting rule from the DNR WMA rules.
Legal hunting hours worked out for Hole-In-Mountain WMA
Shooting starts 30 minutes before sunrise at Hole-In-Mountain WMA; the two closing columns split big game from birds.
| Date | Season | Sunrise | Sunset | First shot | Last, big game | Last, birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 7:07 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. | 8:01 p.m. | 7:31 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:15 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. | 7:48 p.m. | 7:18 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:32 a.m. | 6:52 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 6:52 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:09 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. | 5:39 p.m. | 5:09 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:37 a.m. | 4:50 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 4:50 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 8:00 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. | 5:25 p.m. | 4:55 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:45 a.m. | 8:06 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. | 8:36 p.m. | 8:06 p.m. |
Early teal runs sunrise to sunset.
Hours rule from the DNR booklet shooting hours page; sun times calculated for the unit point (NOAA method, Central Time); checked October 28, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Pictures that suit a day on Hole-In-Mountain WMA
Quick answers before you hunt Hole-In-Mountain WMA
Hole-In-Mountain WMA size: how much huntable ground?
Hole-In-Mountain WMA covers 639 acres.
May the public hunt Hole-In-Mountain WMA?
Yes. The DNR WMA rules allow hunting and trapping in season on Hole-In-Mountain WMA.
What can you hunt on Hole-In-Mountain WMA?
Expect deer, small game, pheasant and mourning dove on Hole-In-Mountain WMA, per the record.
What are the 2026 deer rules on Hole-In-Mountain WMA?
It is in deer permit area 294 (either-sex). Guns: Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
Who manages Hole-In-Mountain WMA?
Hole-In-Mountain WMA is managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, from its Marshall office.
What route leads to Hole-In-Mountain WMA?
From Lake Benton, go 2 miles S on US 75 Parking points on file: 0.
When is legal light on Hole-In-Mountain WMA for the opener?
For the opener, 6:39 a.m. to 5:39 p.m.; birds stop at 5:09 p.m..
Do deer from Hole-In-Mountain WMA need CWD testing?
Its DPA (294) is in the 2026 surveillance block (mandatory sampling Nov. 7-8).
Can decoys or gear stay on Hole-In-Mountain WMA overnight?
Stands are portable-only and leave with you; the one exception is the northwest overnight window from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.
Where can I hunt public land close to Hole-In-Mountain WMA?
The nearest public units are Altona WMA (2.3 mi), Schindel WMA (3.1 mi) and Coteau Pit WMA (3.5 mi).
Is camping at Hole-In-Mountain WMA allowed under WMA rules?
Camping is limited to designated areas or a DNR permit.
Hole-In-Mountain WMA: what to double-check first
Seasons, closures and notices on Hole-In-Mountain WMA can change mid-season; posted signs and the agency page have the final word.
Sources: source · source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); NPS Photo (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).