Blackhoof River Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Blackhoof River Wildlife Management Area is 4,028 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Carlton County, near Wrenshall, inside Deer Permit Areas 153 and 154. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,144 deer in DPA 153 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 landState parksBlackhoof River WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,028 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Carlton County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 153, DPA 154 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Wrenshall |
| DNR area office | Cloquet |
| Nearest towns | Wrenshall (6 mi), Mahtowa (8 mi) and Carlton (8 mi) |
What is Blackhoof River WMA like?
This WMA is aspen-spruce/fir and riparian forests types with many upland openings. The area is dissected with steep river valleys and ravines.
Active forest management is utilized on this unit. This WMA is a major deer wintering area and is a popular spot for deer hunting. This unit is also a stream trout fishery. This WMA has an extensive trail system with carry-in canoe access to the Blackhoof and Nemadji Rivers. This WMA offers remote areas, scenic views, and some old growth forest.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Blackhoof River WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Blackhoof River WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Blackhoof River WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Blackhoof River WMA?
Blackhoof River WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 1,144 deer in DPA 153 in 2025.
| DPA | Blackhoof River WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| DPA 153 | 3,666 | 1,144 |
| DPA 154 | 362 | 502 |
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 Blackhoof River WMA?
From Wrenshall, go 5 1/2 miles S on CSAH 1, then 1 mile S on SH 23.
Nearest towns: Wrenshall (6 miles), Mahtowa (8 miles), Carlton (8 miles) and Barnum (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 23.
What other public land is near Blackhoof River WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Wrenshall WMA: 160 acres, 2 miles away
- Dye WMA: 161 acres, 6.2 miles away
- Hjalmar & Frances Storlie WMA: 79 acres, 9.2 miles away
- Gichigami Ziibi WMA: 895 acres, 9.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Blackhoof River WMA
Counting Blackhoof River WMA itself, 4,951 of the 43,575 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 4,198 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 753 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Blackhoof River WMA?
In Carlton County, near Wrenshall. The DNR's directions: From Wrenshall, go 5 1/2 miles S on CSAH 1, then 1 mile S on SH 23.
Which deer permit area is Blackhoof River WMA in?
DPA 153 (3,666 acres) and DPA 154 (362 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Blackhoof River WMA?
4,951 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Blackhoof River WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 4 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Wrenshall WMA (2 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, Blackhoof River 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.