Bear Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Bear Creek Wildlife Management Area is 285 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Roseau County, near Salol, inside Deer Permit Area 105. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 2,485 deer in DPA 105 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's wildlife management area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasBear Creek WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 285 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Roseau County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 105 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Salol |
| DNR area office | Baudette |
| Nearest towns | Roseau (13 mi), Warroad (16 mi) and Roosevelt (20 mi) |
What is Bear Creek WMA like?
This WMA is comprised of old homestead openings surrounded by a diverse mix of tree species such as oak, pine, and aspen. These habitat types are used by deer, songbirds, raptors, furbearers and small game. Lowland brush habitat and wetlands are also found on this WMA and are home to many amphibians, reptiles, and aquatic invertebrates. Snipe, rails, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse and sharp-tailed grouse may be encountered here along with woodcock. Trapping and viewing of several furbearer species, sandhill cranes, bitterns and other wetland species may be viewed here as well.
Goals include improving brushland and open grass communities through prescribed burning or mowing. Brush-land management to benefit sharp-tailed grouse and forest opening maintenance to benefit deer, bear, grouse, and a variety of other species is conducted at this unit.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Bear Creek WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for Bear Creek WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Bear Creek WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Bear Creek WMA?
Bear Creek WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 105. The DNR registered 2,485 deer in DPA 105 in 2025, against 2,165 in 2024.
| DPA | Bear Creek WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 105 | 285 | 2,485 | 2,165 | 2,545 |
Harvest for the whole deer permit area, not the WMA alone: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
How do you get to Bear Creek WMA?
From Salol, go 1 mile E on SH 11 then 10 3/4 miles S on CSAH 13 then 3/4 mile E on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Roseau (13 miles), Warroad (16 miles), Roosevelt (20 miles) and Badger (23 miles).
What other public land is near Bear Creek WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Hayes WMA: 74 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Cedar Bend WMA: 1,473 acres, 7.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bear Creek WMA
Counting Bear Creek WMA itself, 1,636 of the 24,487 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,351 |
| State wildlife management areas | 285 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bear Creek WMA?
In Roseau County, near Salol. The DNR's directions: From Salol, go 1 mile E on SH 11 then 10 3/4 miles S on CSAH 13 then 3/4 mile E on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Bear Creek WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 105. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Bear Creek WMA?
1,636 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bear Creek WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 2 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Hayes WMA (5.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Bear Creek WMA; Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.