Cook County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Cook County has 752,557 acres of public land open to the public, 73.2% of the county, the largest share national forest (649,927 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 6 wildlife management areas here covering 4,605 acres, the largest Swamp River WMA (2,600 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 126 (117 deer in 2025), DPA 117 (14 deer in 2025) and DPA 131 (45 deer in 2025).
Data updated October 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1. Wildlife Management Areas and Walk-In Access: the DNR's map layers, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landNational forestOther federal landState parksNational park landCook CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 1,028,013 acres (1,606 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 73.2% (752,557 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (4,605 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 126, DPA 117, DPA 131 |
| Towns | Grand Marais, Lutsen, Silver Bay and Beaver Bay |
How much public hunting land is in Cook County?
752,557 of the county's 1,028,013 acres are public land open to the public (73.2%). 743,719 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Cook County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 649,927 | 63.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 87,858 | 8.5% |
| State parks | 8,133 | 0.8% |
| State wildlife management areas | 5,849 | 0.6% |
| National park land | 705 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 85 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 752,557 | 73.2% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). State wildlife management areas, state forest land and national forests are open to hunting in season; refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks allow hunting only in special hunts; national park land is closed to hunting; city and county parks set their own rules. PAD-US 4.1 leaves out most of the tax-forfeited land Minnesota counties manage, much of it open to hunting, so the public land here may be more than shown; the county land department has the maps.
The largest public areas in Cook County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Superior National Forest (642,022 acres), Pat Bayle State Forest (38,339 acres), Pigeon River Purchase Unit (11,469 acres), Finland State Forest (2,011 acres) and Grand Portage National Monument (705 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Cook County?
6, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Swamp River WMA | 2,600 | ducks and geese |
| Jonvik WMA | 956 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| East Colvill WMA | 616 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Horseshoe Bay WMA | 276 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| LeVeaux WMA | 80 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Northern White Cedar WMA | 77 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
How many deer are taken in Cook County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Cook County lies in 3 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 126 (58.2% of the county). Each figure below is for the whole permit area.
| DPA | Share of the county | Deer harvested in the whole DPA | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 126 | 58.2% | 117 | 2025 |
| DPA 117 | 38.4% | 14 | 2025 |
| DPA 131 | 3.2% | 45 | 2025 |
Harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report). Share of the county measured by FilledTag from the DNR's deer permit areas and the Census county line.
How do you get around Cook County?
Highways: MN 61 (about 71 miles in the county). Towns: Grand Marais and Lutsen.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Cook County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Superior National Forest (642,022 acres in the county), Pat Bayle State Forest (38,339 acres in the county) and Pigeon River Purchase Unit (11,469 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is national forest, 649,927 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Cook County?
Swamp River WMA, with 2,600 acres inside the county. The county has 6 WMAs in all.
Does Cook County have Walk-In Access land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access map. The program is mostly in western and southern Minnesota.
Which deer permit area is Cook County in?
DPA 126 (58.2%), DPA 117 (38.4%) and DPA 131 (3.2%). Bag limits and firearms dates follow the permit area.
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Where these numbers come from
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Wildlife Management Areas: Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible. Walk-In Access: Minnesota DNR Walk-In Access sites.
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
- County line: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads.
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps.