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Minnesota WMA
Winter Wildlife Management Area: seasons, rules and access
976 acres of wildlife management area ground in Pipestone County, deer permit area 294.
Photo: beggs (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Winter Wildlife Management Area
Winter WMA on paper: the record in brief
Winter WMA covers 976 acres in Pipestone County. Among Pipestone County’s 15 wildlife management areas, it sits 1st for acres. Subunits (4): South Unit (258 ac), East Unit (12 ac), West Unit (545 ac) and North Unit (161 ac).
The 2026 deer designation for DPA 294 is either-sex. Management sits with the Slayton-Talcot Lake area wildlife staff, reachable at talcotlake.wildlife@state.mn.us. Federal aid on file for Winter WMA: NAWCA MN Prairie Coteau.
Hunted here: deer, small game, pheasant.
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Winter Wildlife Management Area
Getting into Winter WMA
Directions and parking for Winter WMA as the DNR detail pages give them (2 parking points mapped).
| Piece | Acres | Town | Status | Lots | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Unit | 258 | Pipestone | Open | 2 | DNR |
| East Unit | 12 | Pipestone | Open | – | DNR |
| West Unit | 545 | Pipestone | Open | – | DNR |
| North Unit | 161 | Pipestone | Open | – | DNR |
- South Unit: From Pipestone, go 8 miles north on State Highway 75, then 2 miles west on township road, then 0.5 miles north on County Road 76.
- East Unit: From Pipestone, go 8 miles north on State Highway 75, then 2 miles west on township road, then 0.9 miles north on County Road 76.
- West Unit: From Pipestone, go 8 miles north on State Highway 75, then 2 miles west on township road, then 0.9 miles north on County Road 76.
- North Unit: From Pipestone travel 11 miles north on US HWY 75 and three miles west on CSAH 10.
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Use rules to read before hunting Winter WMA
Winter 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.
Winter 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.
Winter WMA dates, species by species
Season rows matched to Winter 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 | |
| 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 Winter 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.
Winter WMA and the public ground around it
Straight-line distances run from the Winter WMA map point; Troy WMA (2.7 mi, southeast) leads the list.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | DPA | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy WMA | WMA | 55 | 294 | 2.7 mi | southeast |
| Altona WMA | WMA | 637 | 294 | 4.5 mi | northeast |
| Schindel WMA | WMA | 156 | 294 | 6.3 mi | north |
| Hole-In-Mountain WMA | WMA | 639 | 294 | 6.7 mi | northeast |
| Coteau Pit WMA | WMA | 81 | 294 | 7.7 mi | northeast |
| Sioux Lookout WMA | WMA | 83 | 286 | 11 mi | north |
| Holland WMA | WMA | 39 | 294 | 11 mi | east |
| Benton Lake AMA | AMA | 22 | 286 | 11 mi | northeast |
Points: DNR WMA boundary layer (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Pipestone County around Winter WMA
In Pipestone County there are 18 records like Winter WMA to choose from. For bear, Pipestone 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. Watch for closed ground in Pipestone County such as Pipestone National Monument.
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 Winter WMA
Closest town: Holland, 9.2 mi in a straight line from Winter WMA. Most services: Pipestone, population 4,034. The unit page lists Pipestone as nearest town. The nearest DNR office is Marshall Area Wildlife Office in Marshall, 38 mi away.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holland | Pipestone | 173 | 9.2 mi | east |
| Lake Benton | Lincoln | 678 | 9.2 mi | northeast |
| Pipestone | Pipestone | 4,034 | 10 mi | south |
| Ruthton | Pipestone | 217 | 14 mi | east |
| Tyler | Lincoln | 1,102 | 15 mi | northeast |
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 Winter Wildlife Management Area: where to check a zero
Hunters on Winter Wildlife Management Area can sight in at Pipestone Sportsmen's Club (12 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 Winter WMA
Shooting starts 30 minutes before sunrise at Winter 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 | 7:08 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. | 8:01 p.m. | 7:31 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:16 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. | 6:46 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. | 4:51 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 8:00 a.m. | 4:56 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 4:56 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:45 a.m. | 8:07 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. | 8:37 p.m. | 8:07 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 Winter WMA
Quick answers before you hunt Winter WMA
Who manages Winter WMA?
Winter WMA is managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, from its Slayton-Talcot Lake office.
What route leads to Winter WMA?
From Pipestone, go 8 miles north on State Highway 75, then 2 miles west on township road, then 0.5 miles north on County Road 76. Parking points on file: 2.
When is legal light on Winter 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 Winter WMA need CWD testing?
Its DPA (294) is in the 2026 surveillance block (mandatory sampling Nov. 7-8).
Can decoys or gear stay on Winter 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 Winter WMA?
The nearest public units are Troy WMA (2.7 mi), Altona WMA (4.5 mi) and Schindel WMA (6.3 mi).
May the public hunt Winter WMA?
Yes. The DNR WMA rules allow hunting and trapping in season on Winter WMA.
Is camping at Winter WMA allowed under WMA rules?
Camping is limited to designated areas or a DNR permit.
What are the 2026 deer rules on Winter WMA?
It is in deer permit area 294 (either-sex). Guns: Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
Winter WMA size: how much huntable ground?
Winter WMA covers 976 acres in 4 subunits.
What can you hunt on Winter WMA?
Expect deer, small game and pheasant on Winter WMA, per the record.
Winter WMA: what to double-check first
Seasons, closures and notices on Winter 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: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain).