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Minnesota WMA
Wood Lake Wildlife Management Area: seasons, rules and access
804 acres of wildlife management area ground in Brown County and 1 neighbor, deer permit area 296.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Wood Lake Wildlife Management Area
Wood Lake WMA on paper: the record in brief
Wood Lake WMA covers 804 acres in Brown and Watonwan counties. Among Brown County’s 23 wildlife management areas, it sits 1st for acres. The 2026 deer designation for DPA 296 is either-sex.
Management sits with the New Ulm area wildlife staff, reachable at newlondon.wildlife@state.mn.us. Federal aid on file for Wood Lake WMA: Pittman-Robertson.
Hunted here: deer, small game, pheasant, waterfowl.
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Wood Lake Wildlife Management Area
Getting into Wood Lake WMA
Directions and parking for Wood Lake WMA as the DNR detail pages give them (0 parking points mapped).
| Piece | Acres | Town | Status | Lots | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Lake WMA | 804 | Comfrey | Open | – | DNR |
- Wood Lake WMA: From Comfrey, go 5 miles E on CSAH 17, 1/2 mile N on CSAH 8
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Use rules to read before hunting Wood Lake WMA
Wood Lake 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.
Wood Lake WMA deer rules: DPA 296
DPA 296 is a 200-series area set to either-sex for 2026. A buck or a doe both count in DPA 296 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 674 square miles, DPA 296 is the unit deer rules follow. DPA 296 overlaps Brown, Watonwan, Cottonwood and Redwood.
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Wood Lake WMA dates, species by species
Season rows matched to Wood Lake 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 296 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPA 296 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 200 series | DPA 296 | 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 | |
| Canada goose | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal season | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Take-a-Kid | Take-a-Kid | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Dec 30, 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 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 6, 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 | |
| Light geese | Spring light goose | Statewide | Feb 18, 2027 | Apr 30, 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 Wood Lake WMA
In 2025 hunters registered 607 deer across DPA 296 (0.91 per square mile); the table runs back to 2017.
| Season | Adult males | Antlerless and fawns | DPA total | Deer per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 420 | 187 | 607 | 0.91 |
| 2024 | 430 | 212 | 642 | 0.96 |
| 2023 | 402 | 240 | 642 | 0.96 |
| 2022 | 447 | 163 | 610 | 0.92 |
| 2021 | 426 | 156 | 582 | 0.87 |
| 2020 | 396 | 176 | 572 | 0.86 |
| 2019 | 361 | 173 | 534 | 0.80 |
| 2018 | 309 | 148 | 457 | 0.69 |
| 2017 | 346 | 166 | 512 | 0.77 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
Wood Lake WMA and the public ground around it
Straight-line distances run from the Wood Lake WMA map point; Mulligan Slough WMA (1.7 mi, east) leads the list.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | DPA | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mulligan Slough WMA | WMA | 643 | 296 | 1.7 mi | east |
| Wood Lake WPA | WPA | 55 | 296 | 2.1 mi | southeast |
| Middle Creek WMA | WMA | 71 | 296 | 4.1 mi | north |
| Winding Creek WMA | WMA | 118 | 296 | 4.7 mi | north |
| Albin WMA | WMA | 37 | 296 | 5.4 mi | northeast |
| Verona WMA, Main Unit | WMA | 244 | 296 | 5.8 mi | north |
| Voss WMA | WMA | 43 | 296 | 6.0 mi | southeast |
| William A. Groebner WMA | WMA | 78 | 296 | 6.2 mi | northeast |
Points: DNR WMA detail page map point (Compass feature_detail). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Brown County around Wood Lake WMA
In Brown County there are 29 records like Wood Lake WMA to choose from. Firearms deer: Brown County still has a local shotgun ordinance (shotgun-only ordinance). For bear, Brown County is no-quota. Turkey permit area 504 and 505 covers the county. New Ulm Area Wildlife Office (New Ulm) is the closest area wildlife office to the county centre. Watch for closed ground in Brown County such as Cottonwood River Prairie Scientific and Natural Area.
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 Wood Lake WMA
Closest town: Darfur, 4.6 mi in a straight line from Wood Lake WMA. Most services: St. James, population 4,750. The unit page lists Comfrey as nearest town. The nearest DNR office is New Ulm Area Wildlife Office in New Ulm, 21 mi away.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darfur | Watonwan | 83 | 4.6 mi | southwest |
| Comfrey | Brown | 376 | 5.8 mi | west |
| Butterfield | Watonwan | 597 | 10 mi | south |
| La Salle | Watonwan | 75 | 11 mi | east |
| St. James | Watonwan | 4,750 | 12 mi | southeast |
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 Wood Lake Wildlife Management Area: where to check a zero
Hunters on Wood Lake Wildlife Management Area can sight in at Mountain Lake Sportsman Club/Range (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 Wood Lake WMA
Shooting starts 30 minutes before sunrise at Wood Lake 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 | 7:01 a.m. | 7:25 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. | 7:55 p.m. | 7:25 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:09 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. | 7:41 p.m. | 7:11 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:26 a.m. | 6:46 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. | 7:16 p.m. | 6:46 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:03 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 5:03 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:30 a.m. | 4:44 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 4:44 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 7:54 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 4:49 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:39 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 8:00 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 Wood Lake WMA
Quick answers before you hunt Wood Lake WMA
Do deer from Wood Lake WMA need CWD testing?
Its DPA (296) is in the 2026 surveillance block (mandatory sampling Nov. 7-8).
Which office should I call about Wood Lake WMA?
Wood Lake WMA is managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, from its New Ulm office.
Where can I hunt public land close to Wood Lake WMA?
The nearest public units are Mulligan Slough WMA (1.7 mi), Wood Lake WPA (2.1 mi) and Middle Creek WMA (4.1 mi).
When is legal light on Wood Lake WMA for the opener?
For the opener, 6:33 a.m. to 5:33 p.m.; birds stop at 5:03 p.m..
Is camping at Wood Lake WMA allowed under WMA rules?
Camping is limited to designated areas or a DNR permit.
Can decoys or gear stay on Wood Lake WMA overnight?
Stands are portable-only and leave with you; the one exception is the northwest overnight window from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.
Wood Lake WMA size: how much huntable ground?
Wood Lake WMA covers 804 acres.
May the public hunt Wood Lake WMA?
Yes. The DNR WMA rules allow hunting and trapping in season on Wood Lake WMA.
What can you hunt on Wood Lake WMA?
Expect deer, small game, pheasant and waterfowl on Wood Lake WMA, per the record.
What are the 2026 deer rules on Wood Lake WMA?
It is in deer permit area 296 (either-sex). Guns: Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
What route leads to Wood Lake WMA?
From Comfrey, go 5 miles E on CSAH 17, 1/2 mile N on CSAH 8 Parking points on file: 0.
Wood Lake WMA: what to double-check first
Seasons, closures and notices on Wood Lake 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: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); Birding for Climate (Public domain).