Janet Johnson Memorial Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Janet Johnson Memorial Wildlife Management Area is 787 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Chisago County, near North Branch, inside Deer Permit Area 236. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 2,388 deer in DPA 236 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 areasCounty, city and regional landJanet Johnson Memorial WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 787 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Chisago County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 236 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | North Branch |
| DNR area office | Cambridge |
| Nearest towns | North Branch (next to it), Stacy (3 mi) and Chisago City (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Janet Johnson Memorial WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Janet Johnson Memorial WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Janet Johnson Memorial WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Janet Johnson Memorial WMA?
Janet Johnson Memorial WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 236. The DNR registered 2,388 deer in DPA 236 in 2025, against 2,085 in 2024.
| DPA | Janet Johnson Memorial WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 236 | 787 | 2,388 | 2,085 | 1,986 |
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 Janet Johnson Memorial WMA?
From North Branch, go 0.5 miles E on St Hwy 95, then approx 1 mile S & E on County Hwy 14, then 1.5 miles south on Hemmingway Ave. The WMA is on the left side of the road.
Nearest towns: North Branch (next to it), Stacy (3 miles), Chisago City (7 miles) and Harris (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-35, US 61 and MN 95.
What other public land is near Janet Johnson Memorial WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Carlos Avery WMA: 24,618 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Hoffman Lake WMA: 115 acres, 5 miles away
- Marvin W. Schubring Memorial WMA: 285 acres, 7.1 miles away
- Wild Rose WMA: 199 acres, 8.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Janet Johnson Memorial WMA
Counting Janet Johnson Memorial WMA itself, 1,865 of the 30,796 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,587 |
| County, city and regional land | 278 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Janet Johnson Memorial WMA?
In Chisago County, near North Branch. The DNR's directions: From North Branch, go 0.5 miles E on St Hwy 95, then approx 1 mile S & E on County Hwy 14, then 1.5 miles south on Hemmingway Ave. The WMA is on the left side of the road.
Which deer permit area is Janet Johnson Memorial WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 236. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Janet Johnson Memorial WMA?
1,865 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Janet Johnson Memorial WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 4 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Carlos Avery WMA (1.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Janet Johnson Memorial 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.