Eckvoll Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Eckvoll Wildlife Management Area is 6,491 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Marshall County, near Grygla, inside Deer Permit Areas 203 and 208. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 85 deer in DPA 203 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasEckvoll WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 6,491 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Marshall County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 203, DPA 208 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Grygla |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Grygla (6 mi), Goodridge (10 mi) and Holt (16 mi) |
What can you hunt on Eckvoll WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Eckvoll WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Eckvoll WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Eckvoll WMA?
Eckvoll WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 85 deer in DPA 203 in 2025, against 77 in 2024.
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 Eckvoll WMA?
From Grygla, go 5 1/2 miles W on SH 89 then 4 miles S and W on SH 219 and CSAH 7.
Nearest towns: Grygla (6 miles), Goodridge (10 miles), Holt (16 miles) and Middle River (16 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 89 and MN 219.
What other public land is near Eckvoll WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Elm Lake WMA: 15,736 acres, 1 mile away
- Moylan WMA: 1,715 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Valley WMA: 656 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Espelie WMA: 3,644 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Grygla WMA: 3,444 acres, 3 miles away
- Sharp WMA: 159 acres, 3.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Eckvoll WMA
Counting Eckvoll WMA itself, 24,795 of the 52,660 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (47.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 14,821 |
| State wildlife management areas | 9,974 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Eckvoll WMA?
In Marshall County, near Grygla. The DNR's directions: From Grygla, go 5 1/2 miles W on SH 89 then 4 miles S and W on SH 219 and CSAH 7.
Which deer permit area is Eckvoll WMA in?
DPA 203 (6,486 acres) and DPA 208 (4 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Eckvoll WMA?
24,795 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Eckvoll WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Elm Lake WMA (1 mile).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Eckvoll 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.