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Minnesota WMA
Tiger Lake Wildlife Management Area: seasons, rules and access
698 acres of wildlife management area ground in Redwood County and 1 neighbor, deer permit area 281.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Tiger Lake Wildlife Management Area
Tiger Lake WMA on paper: the record in brief
Tiger Lake WMA covers 698 acres in Redwood and Renville counties. Among Redwood County’s 27 wildlife management areas, it sits 5th for acres. Subunits (3): Dahlberg Unit (100 ac), Hansen, Sperl & Stancer Units (498 ac) and Kaufenberg, Stokke, & Vagts Units (100 ac).
The 2026 deer designation for DPA 281 is 3-deer limit. Management sits with the New Ulm area wildlife staff, reachable at newlondon.wildlife@state.mn.us. Federal aid on file for Tiger Lake WMA: Pittman-Robertson.
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 Tiger Lake Wildlife Management Area
Getting into Tiger Lake WMA
Directions and parking for Tiger Lake WMA as the DNR detail pages give them (0 parking points mapped).
| Piece | Acres | Town | Status | Lots | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dahlberg Unit | 100 | North Redwood | Open | – | DNR |
| Hansen, Sperl & Stancer Units | 498 | North Redwood | Open | – | DNR |
| Kaufenberg, Stokke, & Vagts Units | 100 | North Redwood | Open | – | DNR |
- Dahlberg Unit: From North Redwood, go 1 1/4 miles E on Twp Rd
- Hansen, Sperl & Stancer Units: From North Redwood, go 1 1/4 miles E on Township Rd
- Kaufenberg, Stokke, & Vagts Units: From North Redwood, go 1 1/4 miles E on Twp Rd
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Use rules to read before hunting Tiger Lake WMA
Tiger 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.
Tiger Lake WMA deer rules: DPA 281
DPA 281 is a 200-series area set to 3-deer limit for 2026. The 3-deer limit in DPA 281 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 |
Surveillance block: bring adult deer taken Nov. 7-8 for sampling. At 609 square miles, DPA 281 is the unit deer rules follow. DPA 281 overlaps Renville, Yellow Medicine, Redwood and Chippewa.
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Tiger Lake WMA dates, species by species
Season rows matched to Tiger 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 281 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPA 281 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 200 series | DPA 281 | 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 Tiger Lake WMA
In 2025 hunters registered 1,343 deer across DPA 281 (2.34 per square mile); the table runs back to 2017.
| Season | Adult males | Antlerless and fawns | DPA total | Deer per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 749 | 594 | 1,343 | 2.34 |
| 2024 | 753 | 474 | 1,227 | 2.14 |
| 2023 | 620 | 536 | 1,156 | 2.01 |
| 2022 | 693 | 636 | 1,329 | 2.31 |
| 2021 | 721 | 598 | 1,319 | 2.30 |
| 2020 | 686 | 670 | 1,356 | 2.36 |
| 2019 | 630 | 364 | 994 | 1.73 |
| 2018 | 544 | 376 | 920 | 1.60 |
| 2017 | 573 | 430 | 1,003 | 1.75 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
Tiger Lake WMA and the public ground around it
Straight-line distances run from the Tiger Lake WMA map point; Brickyard AMA (1.6 mi, east) leads the list.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | DPA | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickyard AMA | AMA | 139 | 281, 290 | 1.6 mi | east |
| Beaver Falls WMA | WMA | 446 | 281 | 1.8 mi | northeast |
| Riverside AMA | AMA | 219 | 281 | 2.1 mi | northwest |
| Beaver Falls AMA | AMA | 6.6 | 281 | 2.2 mi | northwest |
| Waukon Rim WMA | WMA | 385 | 281 | 2.4 mi | northwest |
| Klabunde WMA | WMA | 203 | 281 | 4.0 mi | west |
| Granite Prairie WMA | WMA | 193 | 281 | 4.3 mi | northwest |
| Delhi WMA | WMA | 147 | 281 | 4.7 mi | west |
Points: DNR WMA boundary layer (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Redwood County around Tiger Lake WMA
In Redwood County there are 34 records like Tiger Lake WMA to choose from. For bear, Redwood County is no-quota. Turkey permit area 504 and 505 covers the county. Marshall Area Wildlife Office (Marshall) is the closest area wildlife office to the county centre. Watch for closed ground in Redwood County such as Ramsey Creek 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 Tiger Lake WMA
Closest town: Morton, 2.6 mi in a straight line from Tiger Lake WMA. Most services: Redwood Falls, population 5,038. The unit page lists North Redwood as nearest town. The nearest DNR office is New Ulm Area Wildlife Office in New Ulm, 35 mi away.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morton | Renville | 402 | 2.6 mi | east |
| Redwood Falls | Redwood | 5,038 | 3.2 mi | west |
| Franklin | Renville | 516 | 7.7 mi | east |
| Delhi | Redwood | 45 | 9.3 mi | west |
| Morgan | Redwood | 879 | 11 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 Tiger Lake Wildlife Management Area: where to check a zero
Hunters on Tiger Lake Wildlife Management Area can sight in at Redwood Valley Volunteers-Muzzle loading Club (4 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 Tiger Lake WMA
Shooting starts 30 minutes before sunrise at Tiger 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 | 7:02 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. | 7:56 p.m. | 7:26 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. | 6:47 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. | 7:17 p.m. | 6:47 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:05 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 5:03 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:33 a.m. | 4:44 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 4:44 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 7:56 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 4:49 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:39 a.m. | 8:02 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. | 8:32 p.m. | 8:02 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 Tiger Lake WMA
Quick answers before you hunt Tiger Lake WMA
Which office should I call about Tiger Lake WMA?
Tiger Lake WMA is managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, from its New Ulm office.
What route leads to Tiger Lake WMA?
From North Redwood, go 1 1/4 miles E on Twp Rd Parking points on file: 0.
When is legal light on Tiger Lake WMA for the opener?
For the opener, 6:35 a.m. to 5:33 p.m.; birds stop at 5:03 p.m..
Do deer from Tiger Lake WMA need CWD testing?
Its DPA (281) is in the 2026 surveillance block (mandatory sampling Nov. 7-8).
Can decoys or gear stay on Tiger 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.
Where can I hunt public land close to Tiger Lake WMA?
The nearest public units are Brickyard AMA (1.6 mi), Beaver Falls WMA (1.8 mi) and Riverside AMA (2.1 mi).
May the public hunt Tiger Lake WMA?
Yes. The DNR WMA rules allow hunting and trapping in season on Tiger Lake WMA.
Is camping at Tiger Lake WMA allowed under WMA rules?
Camping is limited to designated areas or a DNR permit.
What are the 2026 deer rules on Tiger Lake WMA?
It is in deer permit area 281 (3-deer limit). Guns: Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
Tiger Lake WMA size: how much huntable ground?
Tiger Lake WMA covers 698 acres in 3 subunits.
What can you hunt on Tiger Lake WMA?
Expect deer, small game, ruffed grouse and woodcock, pheasant, waterfowl and wild turkey on Tiger Lake WMA, per the record.
Tiger Lake WMA: what to double-check first
Seasons, closures and notices on Tiger 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: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).