Graceton Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Graceton Wildlife Management Area is 10,713 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lake of the Woods County, near Baudette, 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 areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landState parksGraceton WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 10,713 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lake of the Woods 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) | Baudette |
| DNR area office | Baudette |
| Nearest towns | Williams (2 mi), Baudette (6 mi) and Roosevelt (9 mi) |
What is Graceton WMA like?
This WMA consists of three sub-units totaling over 10,000 acres. Management objectives include maintaining open brushland through burning, and shearing. These early successional communities are used by Sharp-tailed Grouse and Short-eared Owls,.
Sandhill cranes and other open land dependent species use this WMA. Dragon's Mouth Orchid may be found here. The easternmost sub-unit consists of 278 acres of sphagnum wetlands and open lowland brush with an island of jack pine. There are no special restrictions on this unit; normal WMA rules apply. This unit was resurveyed and signed in 2000. Sharptails, rails, snipe, deer and bear can be hunted here.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Graceton WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for Graceton WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Graceton WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Graceton WMA?
Graceton WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 105. The DNR registered 2,485 deer in DPA 105 in 2025, against 2,165 in 2024.
| DPA | Graceton WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 105 | 10,713 | 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 Graceton WMA?
From Baudette, go 7 miles W on Hwy 11 then 1 mile N on 38th Ave.
Access may be difficult due to ditches, wet ground conditions and lack of roads.
Nearest towns: Williams (2 miles), Baudette (6 miles), Roosevelt (9 miles) and Warroad (21 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 11.
What other public land is near Graceton WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Four Mile Bay WMA: 89 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Prosper WMA: 1,942 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Spooner WMA: 359 acres, 4 miles away
- Carp Swamp WMA: 15,272 acres, 6.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Graceton WMA
Counting Graceton WMA itself, 16,475 of the 87,920 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (18.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 10,714 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 3,771 |
| State parks | 1,990 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Graceton WMA?
In Lake of the Woods County, near Baudette. The DNR's directions: From Baudette, go 7 miles W on Hwy 11 then 1 mile N on 38th Ave.
Which deer permit area is Graceton WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 105. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Graceton WMA?
16,475 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Graceton WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 4 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Four Mile Bay WMA (3.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Graceton 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.