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MN DNR

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WIA

WIA

WIA – Walk-In Access (WIA) Program…providing public hunting opportunities on private lands thanks to volunteer landowners. – Walk-In Access sites are open during any legal hunting season from Sept. 1 to May 31.

WIA – Walk-In Access (WIA) Program…providing public hunting opportunities on private lands thanks to volunteer landowners.

  • Walk-In Access sites are open during any legal hunting season from Sept. 1 to May 31. Please respect private property and verify public hunting areas by observing boundary signs.
  • No hunting is allowed in any WIA until it is posted.
  • Only walk-in hunting traffic is allowed on enrolled acres. Land enrolled in the WIA program is not open to trapping, trap shooting, dog training or activities other than hunting. No vehicle traffic is allowed. Parking is along roads or in designated parking areas.
  • Hunters must follow the Code of Conduct
  • Emergency Grazing and Haying on WIA sites.

Helpful WIA Hunting tools:

  • MN DNR Walk In Access Link
  • Purchase your Walk In Access Validation here
  • Enroll your land for Walk In Access here

WMA

WMA

WMA – Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)…the crown jewels of Minnesota’s wildlife management operation. – 1,440 public wildlife areas with 1.29 million acres of habitat, from prairies and wetlands to forests and swamps, for Minnesota’s wildlife species.

WMA – Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)…the crown jewels of Minnesota’s wildlife management operation.

  • 1,440 public wildlife areas with 1.29 million acres of habitat, from prairies and wetlands to forests and swamps, for Minnesota’s wildlife species.
  • Recreation for upland Pheasants, Hungarian Partridge, Waterfowl, and Deer hunters.
  • Wildlife watching opportunities including: Sandhill Cranes, Herons, Prairie Chickens, Shore birds, Waterfowl, and more.

WPA

WPA

WPA – WPAs are Important to Waterfowl Production. – Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) are public lands purchased by the Federal government for the purpose of increasing the production of migratory birds, especially waterfowl.

WPA – WPAs are Important to Waterfowl Production

  • Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) are public lands purchased by the Federal government for the purpose of increasing the production of migratory birds, especially waterfowl. Every dollar spent for the purchase of a Federal Duck Stamp goes directly toward the acquisition of waterfowl habitat.
  • Historically western Minnesota was a huge grassland, called the Northern Tallgrass Prairie, interspersed with countless wetlands. This prairie pothole area was a duck factory, producing mallards, teal, canvasbacks, other waterfowl and water-dependent birds by the millions. Many wetlands have since been drained and tallgrass prairie is now North America’s rarest habitat; most of which is located on WPAs, State Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), Nature Conservancy lands, along with some remnants on private land.

MN DNR News

MN Department of Natural Resources — News Releases

  • DNR’s newest conservation officers set to hit the field (published December 10, 2020)
    on December 10, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    Within the next several weeks, 12 communities across the state will once again have full-time, dedicated service from a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer. In addition, a new CO will join the Enforcement Division’s Aviation Unit as a pilot.

  • DNR continues chronic wasting disease response with two special hunts (published December 8, 2020)
    on December 8, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    The Department of Natural Resources has scheduled two special hunts in parts of southeastern Minnesota in December and January aimed at limiting the spread of chronic wasting disease in wild deer.

  • Partnership is key to success of Minnesota’s Bison Conservation Herd (published December 3, 2020)
    on December 3, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    Once numbering in the tens of millions before being hunted to near extinction, the American plains bison is making a promising recovery. In Minnesota, this recovery is supported by a long-standing partnership between the Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Zoological Garden (MZG), […]

  • Explore the outdoors this winter hunting Minnesota small game (published November 30, 2020)
    on November 30, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    Hunting pheasants, ruffed grouse, squirrels or rabbits offers opportunities to enjoy the Minnesota outdoors as temperatures fall and snow blankets the landscape.

  • Take caution around open water, newly formed ice (published November 23, 2020)
    on November 23, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    With the continued surge in the number of people recreating outdoors this year, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone that lakes and ponds across the state have started to freeze, and where there isn’t ice, the water is dangerously cold.

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