Hay Snake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Hay Snake Wildlife Management Area is 237 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Kanabec County, near Woodland, inside Deer Permit Area 157. 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 4,606 deer in DPA 157 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 landHay Snake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 237 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Kanabec County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 157 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Woodland |
| DNR area office | Cambridge |
| Nearest towns | McGrath (7 mi), Isle (9 mi) and Wahkon (12 mi) |
What can you hunt on Hay Snake 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 Hay Snake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Hay Snake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Hay Snake WMA?
Hay Snake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 157. The DNR registered 4,606 deer in DPA 157 in 2025, against 4,255 in 2024.
| DPA | Hay Snake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 157 | 237 | 4,606 | 4,255 | 3,716 |
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 Hay Snake WMA?
From Woodland, go 1 mile E on CO RD 82 then 1 mile N on TRAIL.
Nearest towns: McGrath (7 miles), Isle (9 miles), Wahkon (12 miles) and Brook Park (15 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 27 and MN 65.
What other public land is near Hay Snake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Bean Dam WMA: 247 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Kroschel WMA: 1,538 acres, 4.9 miles away
- Lake Five WMA: 276 acres, 5 miles away
- Pomroy Pastures WMA: 991 acres, 9.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hay Snake WMA
Counting Hay Snake WMA itself, 2,825 of the 23,069 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 2,583 |
| State wildlife management areas | 242 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hay Snake WMA?
In Kanabec County, near Woodland. The DNR's directions: From Woodland, go 1 mile E on CO RD 82 then 1 mile N on TRAIL.
Which deer permit area is Hay Snake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 157. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Hay Snake WMA?
2,825 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hay Snake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 4 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Bean Dam WMA (2.9 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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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, Hay Snake 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.