State guide

Public land that may allow hunting in Minnesota

1,458 named public land units in Minnesota from PAD-US 4.1: 1,337 state wildlife & game areas, 56 forests & grasslands, 63 wildlife refuges & WPAs, 1 BLM units, 1 other public land units. The largest are Superior National Forest, Miscellaneous, Chippewa National Forest.

  • 1,458listed areas
  • 7.6Macres (approx.)
  • 1,337state wildlife & game areas
Deer season 2026: archery opens Sept. 19, 2026; firearms Nov. 7, 2026 (Firearm Season A). All Minnesota dates by zone (checked Sep 26, 2026)

Minnesota deer season dates for 2026 (from the state agency) · Deer score calculator · How to score a buck

Regulations & licenses: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

This site does not list seasons, bag limits, license or permit rules. Those change every year and differ by area. Check them with the state agency before you go, and confirm the specific area is open to the hunting you plan.

Check regulations with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Where the listed areas are

State wildlife & game areas (1,337)Forests & grasslands (56)Wildlife refuges & WPAs (63)BLM public land (1)Other public land (1)

One dot per area at its reference point; larger dots are larger areas. Outline: U.S. Census Bureau.

Acres by land type

Forests & grasslands5.5M acState wildlife areas804K acOther737K acRefuges & WPAs502K acBLM land5,495 ac

Approximate acres for the portion of each unit inside Minnesota.

Photos from Minnesota public lands

All photo credits

Public-domain photos by U.S. federal agencies, taken in the place named on each card.

All 1,458 areas, largest first

Acreage is calculated from simplified PAD-US boundaries for the portion inside Minnesota. “Access” is the PAD-US public access field, not a statement about hunting. National wildlife refuges are generally coded “restricted” in PAD-US because of seasonal or area closures.

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