Home › Minnesota › Public land › Bench WMA
WMA · DPA 277
Hunting on Bench Wildlife Management Area in 2026-27
Wildlife management area hunting in Swift County: rules, season dates, parking and nearby public land.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Bench Wildlife Management Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Bench Wildlife Management Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 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.
The record behind Bench WMA, summed up
The mapped area of Bench WMA is 614 acres, in Swift County. Swift County has 17 wildlife management areas on our list; this one is the 4th largest. Deer rules come from DPA 277, a 3-deer limit area in 2026.
Appleton is the DNR wildlife area office for Bench WMA (appleton.wildlife@state.mn.us). DNR records Pittman-Robertson funding for Bench WMA.
Species named: 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 Bench Wildlife Management Area
Bench WMA regulations in short
Read these before a first trip to Bench WMA; they come from the agency page.
| Item | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| 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.
DPA 277 dates for Bench WMA
For 2026, DNR made DPA 277 3-deer limit; its firearms deer season is the 200-series window. Up to 3 deer can come out of DPA 277 this season, using bonus permits for the extra antlerless deer.
| Deer season | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Youth deer | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Early antlerless | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Firearms, 200 series | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Muzzleloader | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 |
DNR placed it in the 2026 surveillance block (sampling Nov. 7-8). DPA 277 takes in 1,147 square miles. Part of Kandiyohi, Meeker, Pope, Swift and Stearns falls in DPA 277.
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Hunting seasons at Bench WMA
34 season windows for 18 species reach Bench WMA, filtered by its game species list.
| Game | Season | Area | From | To | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | DPA 277 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Early antlerless | DPA 277 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPA 277 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 200 series | DPA 277 | 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 |
Blaze orange or pink is required during the firearms deer seasons, including for most small game hunters.
From the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026. All Minnesota seasons.
Bench WMA directions and parking
The DNR route text for each subunit of Bench WMA, with 2 mapped lots.
| Unit | Size | Closest town | Hunting | Parking spots | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench WMA | 614 | Benson | Open | 2 | DNR |
- Bench WMA: From Benson, go 2 miles E on SH 9 then 2.5 miles N on CSAH 25 then .5 miles E on Twp Rd.
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Other places to hunt near Bench WMA
The closest other public land to Bench WMA is Tolifson WPA, 1.8 mi to the north; the table lists 8 neighbors with 3,388 acres between them.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Deer area | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tolifson WPA | WPA | 89 | 277 | 1.8 mi | north |
| N/A WPA | WPA | 80 | 277 | 2.2 mi | north |
| Svor WPA | WPA | 826 | 277 | 2.3 mi | northeast |
| Loen WPA | WPA | 1,056 | 277 | 2.8 mi | north |
| Welsh WPA | WPA | 900 | 277 | 4.3 mi | east |
| Henry X WMA | WMA | 194 | 275, 277 | 4.5 mi | northwest |
| Fahl WPA | WPA | 121 | 277 | 4.7 mi | north |
| Swift Falls WPA | WPA | 121 | 277 | 4.9 mi | northeast |
Points: DNR WMA detail page map point (Compass feature_detail). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Towns and offices around Bench WMA
The town nearest Bench WMA is Benson at 5.0 mi. DNR names Benson as the nearest town on its unit page. New London Area Wildlife Office (New London) is the closest DNR office, 23 mi off.
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson | Swift | 3,414 | 5.0 mi | west |
| De Graff | Swift | 108 | 5.9 mi | south |
| Clontarf | Swift | 126 | 8.7 mi | west |
| Murdock | Swift | 298 | 9.8 mi | southeast |
| Danvers | Swift | 100 | 13 mi | west |
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.
Bench WMA area deer harvest by year
DPA 277 totals, which include all the land around Bench WMA: 4,575 deer in 2025 against 4,301 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks | Does, fawns | All deer | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,281 | 2,294 | 4,575 | 4.32 |
| 2024 | 2,360 | 1,941 | 4,301 | 4.07 |
| 2023 | 1,905 | 2,108 | 4,013 | 3.79 |
| 2022 | 2,085 | 2,690 | 4,775 | 4.51 |
| 2021 | 2,325 | 2,759 | 5,084 | 4.81 |
| 2020 | 2,051 | 2,129 | 4,180 | 5.15 |
| 2019 | 1,873 | 1,220 | 3,093 | 3.81 |
| 2018 | 1,668 | 1,317 | 2,985 | 3.68 |
| 2017 | 1,630 | 1,356 | 2,986 | 3.68 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
The county setting of Bench WMA
Swift County holds 52 public hunting records on this site; Bench WMA is one of them. Bear: Swift County is in the no-quota area, with licenses over the counter. For turkey the county is in permit area 506 and 505. Wildlife office for Swift County: Appleton Area Wildlife Office.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Bench WMA: first legal light and last
Calculated for the exact spot of Bench WMA, so the minutes differ a little from the county tables.
| Day | Hunt | First sun | Last sun | Start | Big game stop | Bird stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 7:04 a.m. | 7:28 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. | 7:58 p.m. | 7:28 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:12 a.m. | 7:14 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. | 7:44 p.m. | 7:14 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:30 a.m. | 6:48 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. | 6:48 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:08 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 5:03 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:37 a.m. | 4:43 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 4:43 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 8:01 a.m. | 4:48 p.m. | 7:31 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 4:48 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:40 a.m. | 8:05 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. | 8:35 p.m. | 8:05 p.m. |
Spring turkey uses the bird column.
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.
Bench Wildlife Management Area and nearby events
1 upcoming event on this property or within about 10 miles (NWTF chapter banquet). Checked October 28, 2026.
Upcoming here
| Date | Event | Miles | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 2027 | Swift County Gobblers Banquet, an NWTF chapter banquet | 5 | Benson | Buy tickets | Source |
Bench Wildlife Management Area hunters: nearest gun clubs on file
Before a hunt on Bench Wildlife Management Area, the closest range on file is Charlies Hunting Club, 12 miles off. Sight in elsewhere: the area rules bar target shooting.
From the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 28, 2026; target shooting rule from the DNR WMA rules.
Bench WMA and country like it, in photos
Bench WMA FAQ for 2026-27
Bench WMA: is hunting allowed there?
Open to hunting in regular seasons, under the general WMA rules and any notes on the unit page.
Is Bench WMA a big piece of land?
About 614 acres, per the agency GIS.
When does firearms deer season open on Bench WMA?
Deer permit area 277; the 2026 designation is 3-deer limit. Firearms dates in that DPA are Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
What game is on Bench WMA?
The record for Bench WMA lists deer, small game, pheasant and waterfowl.
What are the directions to Bench WMA?
From Benson, go 2 miles E on SH 9 then 2.5 miles N on CSAH 25 then .5 miles E on Twp Rd. 2 mapped lots.
Which office should I call about Bench WMA?
The Appleton office of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources runs Bench WMA.
What are the CWD rules on Bench WMA?
CWD status: DPA 277 is in the 2026 surveillance block (mandatory sampling Nov. 7-8).
Bench WMA: deer hours on opening day?
About 6:38 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. on opening day of firearms deer.
Any other public ground within a short drive of Bench WMA?
Closest on the map: Tolifson WPA (1.8 mi), N/A WPA (Swift County) (2.2 mi) and Svor WPA (2.3 mi).
Are permanent stands allowed on Bench WMA?
No overnight gear on Bench WMA: stands and blinds go home each day unless the northwest exception covers the unit.
Can I stay the night on Bench WMA?
No, except designated sites or by permit.
Other photos on this page: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0).