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Minnesota WMA
Moonan Wildlife Management Area: seasons, rules and access
994 acres of wildlife management area ground in Waseca County, deer permit area 232.
Photo: Chad Davis. (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Moonan Wildlife Management Area
Moonan WMA on paper: the record in brief
Moonan WMA covers 994 acres in Waseca County. Among Waseca County’s 14 wildlife management areas, it sits 1st for acres. The 2026 deer designation for DPA 232 is 3-deer limit.
Management sits with the Owatonna area wildlife staff, reachable at owatonna.wildlife@state.mn.us. Federal aid on file for Moonan WMA: Pittman-Robertson.
DNR describes the unit this way: Much of Moonan Marsh was developed in conjunction with the Crane Creek flood control project. A dike system encompasses most of the WMA impounding the old drainage to restore marsh habitats. More recently additional wetlands and grasslands were restored through a cooperative project with Ducks Unlimited, Inc. in the northwestern part of the WMA. A variety of wetland wildlife are found in the area including waterfowl, sandhill cranes, herons, rails, muskrats and mink. The forest tracts are home to squirrels, woodpeckers, owls and numerous song birds, especially during spring and fall migration.
Hunted here: deer, small game, ruffed grouse and woodcock, pheasant, waterfowl, wild turkey.
- White-tailed Deer
- Eastern Cottontail
- Gray Squirrel
- Snowshoe Hare
- Ruffed Grouse
- American Woodcock
- Ring-necked Pheasant
- Ducks
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Moonan Wildlife Management Area
Getting into Moonan WMA
Directions and parking for Moonan WMA as the DNR detail pages give them (2 parking points mapped).
| Piece | Acres | Town | Status | Lots | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moonan WMA | 994 | Waseca | Open | 2 | DNR |
- Moonan WMA: From Waseca, go 4 miles NE on CSAH 4 Off road parking is provided by 3 parking areas adjacent to the Snake Trail (County Road 4) that runs along the north and west sides of the WMA. One area is located the north side of Moonan WMA south of the Snake Trail. An undeveloped grass parking area and carry down water access is located adjacent to the drainage ditch in the northwest corner of the WMA. A small grass parking area is located in the SW corner of the WMA as it borders the Snake Trail at the junction with a gravel township road extends that extends eastward from CSAH 4. There is water access to the southern portions of Moonan Marsh from Blowers County Park.
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Use rules to read before hunting Moonan WMA
Moonan 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 |
- There is a posted no shooting buffer area in the western portion of the WMA.
Sources: record, agency rules; booklet: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Moonan WMA deer rules: DPA 232
DPA 232 is a 200-series area set to 3-deer limit for 2026. The 3-deer limit in DPA 232 is reached with bonus permits on top of the regular license.
| 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 |
DPA 232 has optional CWD testing. At 381 square miles, DPA 232 is the unit deer rules follow. DPA 232 overlaps Steele, Waseca, Rice and Le Sueur.
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Moonan WMA dates, species by species
Season rows matched to Moonan 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 232 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPA 232 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 200 series | DPA 232 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring archery-only | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period A | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | Apr 20, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period B | Statewide | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period C | Statewide | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period D | Statewide | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period E | Statewide | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period F | Statewide | May 19, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| 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 | |
| Woodcock | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 2, 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 | |
| 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 Moonan WMA
In 2025 hunters registered 745 deer across DPA 232 (1.98 per square mile); the table runs back to 2017.
| Season | Adult males | Antlerless and fawns | DPA total | Deer per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 389 | 356 | 745 | 1.98 |
| 2024 | 434 | 339 | 773 | 2.05 |
| 2023 | 424 | 381 | 805 | 2.14 |
| 2022 | 387 | 331 | 718 | 1.91 |
| 2021 | 332 | 311 | 643 | 1.71 |
| 2020 | 348 | 349 | 697 | 1.85 |
| 2019 | 366 | 282 | 648 | 1.72 |
| 2018 | 300 | 318 | 618 | 1.64 |
| 2017 | 311 | 290 | 601 | 1.60 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
Moonan WMA and the public ground around it
Straight-line distances run from the Moonan WMA map point; Findley WMA (1.2 mi, west) leads the list.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | DPA | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Findley WMA | WMA | 287 | 232 | 1.2 mi | west |
| Pawek WMA | WMA | 79 | 232 | 2.4 mi | north |
| Waseca WMA | WMA | 303 | 232 | 3.3 mi | south |
| Swan WMA | WMA | 238 | 232 | 4.6 mi | east |
| Little Fawn WMA | WMA | 20 | 232 | 4.8 mi | southeast |
| Felber WPA | WPA | 247 | 232 | 5.3 mi | south |
| Pederson WPA | WPA | 11 | 232 | 5.7 mi | south |
| Pheasants Forever, Inc. WPA | WPA | 43 | 232 | 5.7 mi | south |
Points: DNR WMA detail page map point (Compass feature_detail). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Waseca County around Moonan WMA
In Waseca County there are 18 records like Moonan WMA to choose from. For bear, Waseca County is no-quota. Turkey permit area 503 and 504 covers the county. Owatonna Area Wildlife Office (Owatonna) is the closest area wildlife office to the county centre. Watch for closed ground in Waseca County such as Clear Lake Aquatic Management 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 Moonan WMA
Closest town: Waseca, 4.3 mi in a straight line from Moonan WMA. Most services: Owatonna, population 26,626. The unit page lists Waseca as nearest town. The nearest DNR office is Owatonna Area Wildlife Office in Owatonna, 18 mi away.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseca | Waseca | 9,067 | 4.3 mi | southwest |
| Morristown | Rice | 1,016 | 7.7 mi | north |
| Medford | Steele | 1,362 | 9.8 mi | east |
| Owatonna | Steele | 26,626 | 9.9 mi | east |
| Waterville | Le Sueur | 1,763 | 10 mi | northwest |
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 Moonan Wildlife Management Area: public and club ranges
Run by City of Burnsville, Archer Park – Archery Range is 46 miles from Moonan Wildlife Management Area. After it come clubs within 30 miles. 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 Moonan WMA
Shooting starts 30 minutes before sunrise at Moonan 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 | 6:56 a.m. | 7:19 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. | 7:49 p.m. | 7:19 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:04 a.m. | 7:06 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. | 7:36 p.m. | 7:06 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:21 a.m. | 6:41 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. | 6:41 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 6:57 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. | 5:28 p.m. | 4:58 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:25 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 4:39 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 7:49 a.m. | 4:44 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 4:44 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:34 a.m. | 7:55 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. | 8:25 p.m. | 7:55 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 Moonan WMA
Quick answers before you hunt Moonan WMA
What are the 2026 deer rules on Moonan WMA?
It is in deer permit area 232 (3-deer limit). Guns: Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
Moonan WMA size: how much huntable ground?
Moonan WMA covers 994 acres.
What route leads to Moonan WMA?
From Waseca, go 4 miles NE on CSAH 4 Parking points on file: 2.
What can you hunt on Moonan WMA?
Expect deer, small game, ruffed grouse and woodcock, pheasant, waterfowl and wild turkey on Moonan WMA, per the record.
Do deer from Moonan WMA need CWD testing?
Its DPA (232) is outside the CWD zones, with optional testing.
Who manages Moonan WMA?
Moonan WMA is managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, from its Owatonna office.
Where can I hunt public land close to Moonan WMA?
The nearest public units are Findley WMA (1.2 mi), Pawek WMA (2.4 mi) and Waseca WMA (3.3 mi).
When is legal light on Moonan WMA for the opener?
For the opener, 6:27 a.m. to 5:28 p.m.; birds stop at 4:58 p.m..
Is camping at Moonan WMA allowed under WMA rules?
Camping is limited to designated areas or a DNR permit.
Can decoys or gear stay on Moonan WMA overnight?
Stands are portable-only and leave with you; the one exception is the northwest overnight window from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.
May the public hunt Moonan WMA?
Yes. The DNR WMA rules allow hunting and trapping in season on Moonan WMA.
Moonan WMA: what to double-check first
Seasons, closures and notices on Moonan 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: Joshua Mayer (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0); GlacierNPS (Public domain).