Gichigami Ziibi Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Gichigami Ziibi Wildlife Management Area is 895 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Carlton County, near Carlton, inside Deer Permit Area 182. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 824 deer in DPA 182 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 parksCounty, city and regional landGichigami Ziibi WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 895 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Carlton County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 182 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Carlton |
| DNR area office | Cloquet |
| Nearest towns | Scanlon (next to it), Carlton (2 mi) and Esko (2 mi) |
What is Gichigami Ziibi WMA like?
This WMA is primarily aspen, lowland ash, and pine forests. Other mixed hardwood-conifer forest and lowland floodplain are scattered throughout. Bedrock cliffs and ridges follow the St. Louis River, which bisects the WMA.
Gichigami Ziibi WMA is named after the St. Louis River in the Ojibwe language, meaning "Great Lake River". Old growth pine provides habitat for species such as fisher and Northern goshawk, while other portions of the WMA are maintained with active forest management to provide habitat for species such as deer and ruffed grouse.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Gichigami Ziibi WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Gichigami Ziibi WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Gichigami Ziibi WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Gichigami Ziibi WMA?
Gichigami Ziibi WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 182. The DNR registered 824 deer in DPA 182 in 2025, against 793 in 2024.
| DPA | Gichigami Ziibi WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 182 | 895 | 824 | 793 | 772 |
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 Gichigami Ziibi WMA?
From Carlton, go 1.9 miles N on MN-45 N to the parking lot on the east side of the highway.
On the west side of the St. Louis River, the WMA is directly accessible off of MN-45 N. From the parking lot, an unmaintained foot path travels along the west bank of the river for approximately 1 mile. WMA lands east of the river are more difficult to access, on foot through Minnesota Power lands to the southeast of the WMA off of Thomson Rd/County Highway 1.
Nearest towns: Scanlon (next to it), Carlton (2 miles), Esko (2 miles) and Wrenshall (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-35, MN 210, MN 33, MN 45 and MN 23.
What other public land is near Gichigami Ziibi WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Wrenshall WMA: 160 acres, 7.2 miles away
- Sawyer WMA: 600 acres, 9.3 miles away
- Blackhoof River WMA: 4,028 acres, 9.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Gichigami Ziibi WMA
Counting Gichigami Ziibi WMA itself, 4,482 of the 30,315 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State parks | 2,785 |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,171 |
| County, city and regional land | 272 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 254 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Gichigami Ziibi WMA?
In Carlton County, near Carlton. The DNR's directions: From Carlton, go 1.9 miles N on MN-45 N to the parking lot on the east side of the highway.
Which deer permit area is Gichigami Ziibi WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 182. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Gichigami Ziibi WMA?
4,482 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Gichigami Ziibi WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 3 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Wrenshall WMA (7.2 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, Gichigami Ziibi 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.