Wildlife management area rules

• Trespass: Portions of WMAs posted closed to trespassing may not be entered without DNR authorization.
• Closed hours: WMAs may not be entered or used during closed hours if posted with these restrictions at major access points, except by permit.
• Camping: Camping is prohibited except in designated overnight-use areas or with a permit from the wildlife manager. A vehicle, trailer or tent legally left overnight must be occupied or attended.
• Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages may not be consumed, expect by persons lawfully occupying an overnight-use area.
• Firearms and target shooting: Target, skeet, trap, or indiscriminate shooting is prohibited. A person may not possess an uncased or loaded firearm or an uncased or strung bow, except when lawfully taking a wild animal or by permit.
• Destruction or removal of property: Signs, posts, fences, gates, buildings, trees, shrubs, vines, plants, or other property may not be destroyed or removed except as follows: Wetland vegetation may be used to build blinds on the area, and edible fruits and seeds, or decorative portions of plants may be removed for personal use. Shed antlers may be collected for personal use.
• Garbage disposal and animal abandonment: Littering is prohibited on any WMA.
• Hunting, fishing and trapping equipment: Boats, decoys, game cameras and other equipment must not be left unattended overnight, with the exception of traps in areas open to trapping, fish houses or dark houses in certain designated WMAs and legally placed drums for bear baiting.
• Blinds and structures: A person may not construct or maintain any building, dock, fence, billboard, sign, or other structure on any WMA, except that temporary waterfowl blinds may be erected, but may not become private property or be used to preempt hunting rights. Any materials brought into a WMA for the construction of a blind must be removed each day at the close of hunting hours.
• Portable stands: Portable stands may be used if they are removed each day at the close of hunting hours and do no permanent damage. Screw-in or clamping steps may be used if they are removed each day. Permanent stands are prohibited. Prior to the opening day of archery deer season, portable stands may be left overnight in a wildlife management area by a person with a valid bear license who is hunting within 100 yards of a bear bait site that is legally tagged and registered. The licensee’s name and address, or drivers license number, or MNDNR number must be affixed to the stand in such a manner that it can be read from the ground.
• Dogs: Dogs are permitted on WMAs only when accompanied by or under the control of the owner. From April 16 through July 14, dogs must be on a leash. A person training a dog on a WMA may not use live ammunition or blank cartridges, including blanks in dummy launchers or similar devices. Dog training is only allowed on a small number of WMAs. Check with your area wildlife office to confirm is dog training is allowed on a specific WMA.
• Other domestic animals: Livestock, horses, and other domestic animals, are not permitted on WMAs except under cooperative agreement or permit approved by the wildlife manager.
• Unprotected animals: Unless specifically closed, unprotected wild animals may be taken from September 1 through the last day of February, or by any person legally hunting a protected species.
• Beaver and otter: Beavers and otters may only be taken by permit issued by the area wildlife manager.
• Crows: Crows may be taken during established seasons, unless the area is specifically closed.

WMAs with special restrictions

Many WMAs have special hunting and/or trapping restrictions. Plan ahead and look up details on any restrictions before you go hunting or trapping. For current details on a specific WMA, restrictions, maps and contact information, use the WMA Finder.

All trappers must, regardless of furbearers taken, obtain a permit from the area manager on the following WMAs:

Area A: On WMAs within this area, ATVs are permitted on designated ATV trails only, except during regular firearms deer season ATVs are permitted:

• Off trail by licensed deer hunters before and after legal shooting hours and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Off trail by licensed deer hunters to retrieve a harvested deer the day after the end of the season.

Area B: Within this area, an ATV may be used by a licensed firearms deer hunter who does not possess a firearm (cased or uncased) to retrieve and transport a deer that is known to be dead from the close of shooting hours to two hours after the close of shooting hours during the regular firearms deer season and for one day after the season.

In both areas A and B: From Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, a portable stand may be left overnight by a person possessing a license to take deer. A person leaving a portable stand overnight must affix a tag with:

• The person’s name and address.
• Driver’s license number or MNDNR number as it appears on their hunting license.

The tag must be affixed so that it can be read from the ground and must withstand weather conditions.

A deer hunter may not leave more than two portable stands in any one wildlife management area. Unoccupied portable stands left overnight may be used by anyone.

The Carlos Avery, Lac qui Parle, Roseau River, Talcot Lake and Whitewater Wildlife Management Areas have several accessible goose or duck hunting blinds for hunters with mobility issues.

Talcot Lake WMA and Roseau River WMA each have a wheelchair accessible deer blind for firearms hunting. Reservations are required for the Roseau River and Talcot Lake WMA blinds.

A wheelchair accessible deer blind is available during all deer seasons on a first-come, first-served basis at the Russ Blandford WMA (Rock County, administered by Talcot Lake WMA). Interested persons are encouraged to call ahead for details.

The following regulations apply to motor vehicle and drone/aircraft use on WMAs other than on federal, state, county or township roads:

• No person may use aircraft over a WMA in a manner that chases, herds, scares or otherwise disturbs wildlife. Drones may not be flown over wildlife management areas.
• Motor vehicles licensed for use on a public highway may be operated on established roads on the following WMAs:
  • Carlos Avery (Anoka and Chisago counties).
  • Hubbel Pond (Becker County).
  • Mille Lacs (Kanabec and Mille Lacs counties).
  • Red Lake (Beltrami and Lake of the Woods counties).
  • Roseau River (Roseau County).
  • Spring Lake Islands (Dakota County) for the purpose of ice fishing.
  • Thief Lake (Marshall County).
• Vehicles are prohibited on all other WMAs except on travel routes designated with signs for travel purposes.
• No vehicle may be parked in front of any gate or obstruct travel.

Unless authorized, no person may operate an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), all-terrain cycle (ATC), hang glider, air boat, personal watercraft (jet-ski) or hovercraft in a WMA.

Without written permission from the DNR, no person may operate a snowmobile in a WMA south of a line described as follows: U.S. Highway 2 from Grand Forks east to Bemidji, then south along U.S. Highway 71 to Wadena, then east along U.S. Highway 10 to Staples and U.S. Highway 210 to the eastern boundary of the state.