Bethel Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Bethel Wildlife Management Area is 755 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Anoka and Isanti counties, near Bethel, inside Deer Permit Area 227. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,198 deer in DPA 227 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 areasState forest and other DNR landCounty, city and regional landBethel WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 755 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Anoka County and Isanti County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 227 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Bethel |
| DNR area office | North Metro |
| Nearest towns | Bethel (next to it), Oak Grove (4 mi) and St. Francis (4 mi) |
What is Bethel WMA like?
This WMA is 756 acres in size and is managed for a variety of waterfowl, woodland and grassland wildlife. It consists of roughly 2/3 wetland and wooded wetland, 1/4 upland woodland and the remainder is grassland.
This is a good area to see a sand plain prairie planting on the west end. Much of the remainder of the area is extensive cattail and shrub swamp. Much of it is accessible on foot, but bring your hip boots. The large shrub swamp offers opportunities to separate yourself from other hunters in the fall and a place for cross county skiing or snowshoeing in solitude in the winter.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Bethel WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Bethel WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Bethel WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Bethel WMA?
Bethel WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 227. The DNR registered 4,198 deer in DPA 227 in 2025, against 3,893 in 2024.
| DPA | Bethel WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 227 | 755 | 4,198 | 3,893 | 3,470 |
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 Bethel WMA?
2 miles west of Bethel on Co Rd 24.
Wheelchair access is limited to the township road on the north and the county road to the south.
Nearest towns: Bethel (next to it), Oak Grove (4 miles), St. Francis (4 miles) and East Bethel (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 65 and MN 47.
What other public land is near Bethel WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Marget Lake WMA: 508 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Athens WMA: 192 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Robert and Marilyn Burman WMA: 204 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Mallard Marsh WMA: 56 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Carl E. Bonnell WMA: 78 acres, 5.7 miles away
- Gordie Mikkelson WMA: 860 acres, 6.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bethel WMA
Counting Bethel WMA itself, 1,595 of the 29,670 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 872 |
| County, city and regional land | 683 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 40 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bethel WMA?
In Anoka and Isanti counties, near Bethel. The DNR's directions: 2 miles west of Bethel on Co Rd 24.
Which deer permit area is Bethel WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 227. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Bethel WMA?
1,595 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bethel WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Marget Lake WMA (2.5 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Bethel 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.