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WMA · DPA 277
Hunting on Regal Flats Wildlife Management Area in 2026-27
Wildlife management area hunting in Kandiyohi County: rules, season dates, parking and nearby public land.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Regal Flats Wildlife Management Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Regal Flats Wildlife Management Area
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 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 Regal Flats WMA, summed up
The mapped area of Regal Flats WMA is 508 acres, in Kandiyohi County. Kandiyohi County has 30 wildlife management areas on our list; this one is the 5th largest. Regal Flats WMA comes in 2 parts, North Unit (282 ac) and South Unit (226 ac).
Deer rules come from DPA 277, a 3-deer limit area in 2026. New London is the DNR wildlife area office for Regal Flats WMA (newlondon.wildlife@state.mn.us).
The WMA page says: Acquisition was completed in 2002 and habitat development is ongoing. The area should prove to be and excellent area for wintering deer.
Species named: deer, small game, pheasant, waterfowl, wild turkey.
- White-tailed Deer
- Eastern Cottontail
- Gray Squirrel
- Snowshoe Hare
- Ring-necked Pheasant
- Ducks
- Canada Goose
- Wild Turkey
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Regal Flats Wildlife Management Area
Regal Flats WMA regulations in short
Read these before a first trip to Regal Flats 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 Regal Flats 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 Regal Flats WMA
43 season windows for 19 species reach Regal Flats 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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.
Regal Flats WMA directions and parking
The DNR route text for each subunit of Regal Flats WMA, with 0 mapped lots.
- North Unit: Travel east of Regal on MN #55 .2 miles and then turn south on gravel township road for a distance of 1.5 miles to the SW corner of the WMA. Restricted to gravel roads adjacent to west and south boundaries of the unit.
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Other places to hunt near Regal Flats WMA
The closest other public land to Regal Flats WMA is Roseville WMA, 2.3 mi to the northeast; the table lists 8 neighbors with 3,288 acres between them.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Deer area | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roseville WMA | WMA | 64 | 218 | 2.3 mi | northeast |
| Zion WMA | WMA | 214 | 218 | 3.4 mi | northeast |
| Regal Meadows WMA | WMA | 306 | 277 | 3.5 mi | west |
| Stearns Prairie Heritage WMA | WMA | 756 | 218, 277 | 4.5 mi | northwest |
| Burbank WPA | WPA | 898 | 277 | 4.8 mi | west |
| Follies WMA | WMA | 610 | 277 | 5.0 mi | west |
| Irving WPA | WPA | 132 | 277 | 5.1 mi | south |
| Bauman WPA | WPA | 306 | 218 | 5.2 mi | northeast |
Points: DNR WMA boundary layer (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Towns and offices around Regal Flats WMA
The town nearest Regal Flats WMA is Regal at 1.7 mi. Paynesville (2,586 in 2024) is the largest of these towns. DNR names Regal as the nearest town on its unit page. New London Area Wildlife Office (New London) is the closest DNR office, 12 mi off.
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regal | Kandiyohi | 40 | 1.7 mi | northwest |
| Paynesville | Stearns | 2,586 | 4.5 mi | east |
| Lake Henry | Stearns | 77 | 5.2 mi | north |
| New London | Kandiyohi | 1,316 | 9.0 mi | southwest |
| Roscoe | Stearns | 134 | 9.1 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.
Regal Flats WMA area deer harvest by year
DPA 277 totals, which include all the land around Regal Flats 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 Regal Flats WMA
Kandiyohi County holds 99 public hunting records on this site; Regal Flats WMA is one of them. Rifles are legal statewide since 2025, but Kandiyohi County has a shotgun-only ordinance (shotgun-only ordinance). Bear: Kandiyohi County is in the no-quota area, with licenses over the counter. For turkey the county is in permit area 507 and 506. Wildlife office for Kandiyohi County: New London Area Wildlife Office. Unlike Regal Flats WMA, Florida Lake Aquatic Management Area is shut to hunters.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Regal Flats WMA: first legal light and last
Calculated for the exact spot of Regal Flats 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 | 7:01 a.m. | 7:25 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. | 7:55 p.m. | 7:25 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:10 a.m. | 7:12 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. | 7:42 p.m. | 7:12 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:27 a.m. | 6:45 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. | 6:45 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:06 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:35 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 4:41 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 7:59 a.m. | 4:45 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 4:45 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:37 a.m. | 8:02 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. | 8:32 p.m. | 8:02 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.
Regal Flats Wildlife Management Area and nearby events
1 upcoming event on this property or within about 10 miles (DU chapter party). Checked October 28, 2026.
Upcoming here
| Date | Event | Miles | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2027 | Lakes Country Holiday Bash 2027, a DU chapter party | 5 | Paynesville American Legion | Buy tickets | Source |
Regal Flats Wildlife Management Area hunters: nearest gun clubs on file
Before a hunt on Regal Flats Wildlife Management Area, the closest range on file is Paynesville Sportsmens Club, 7 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.
Regal Flats WMA and country like it, in photos
Regal Flats WMA FAQ for 2026-27
Any other public ground within a short drive of Regal Flats WMA?
Closest on the map: Roseville WMA (2.3 mi), Zion WMA (3.4 mi) and Regal Meadows WMA (3.5 mi).
Are permanent stands allowed on Regal Flats WMA?
No overnight gear on Regal Flats WMA: stands and blinds go home each day unless the northwest exception covers the unit.
Can I stay the night on Regal Flats WMA?
No, except designated sites or by permit.
Regal Flats WMA: is hunting allowed there?
Open to hunting in regular seasons, under the general WMA rules and any notes on the unit page.
Is Regal Flats WMA a big piece of land?
About 508 acres in 2 subunits, per the agency GIS.
When does firearms deer season open on Regal Flats 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 Regal Flats WMA?
The record for Regal Flats WMA lists deer, small game, pheasant, waterfowl and wild turkey.
What are the directions to Regal Flats WMA?
Travel east of Regal on MN #55 .2 miles and then turn south on gravel township road for a distance of 1.5 miles to the SW corner of the WMA. 0 mapped lots.
Which office should I call about Regal Flats WMA?
The New London office of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources runs Regal Flats WMA.
What are the CWD rules on Regal Flats WMA?
CWD status: DPA 277 is in the 2026 surveillance block (mandatory sampling Nov. 7-8).
Regal Flats WMA: deer hours on opening day?
About 6:36 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on opening day of firearms deer.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Pictures by Ann (CC BY 2.0); Russ (CC BY 2.0).