Loncrace Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Loncrace Wildlife Management Area is 253 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Mahnomen County, near Bejou, inside Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 224 deer in DPA 297 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 areasLoncrace WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 253 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Mahnomen County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 297 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Bejou |
| DNR area office | Detroit Lakes |
| Nearest towns | Bejou (next to it), Winger (5 mi) and Riverland (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Loncrace WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese and small game for Loncrace WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Loncrace WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Loncrace WMA?
Loncrace WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR registered 224 deer in DPA 297 in 2025, against 204 in 2024.
| DPA | Loncrace WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 297 | 253 | 224 | 204 | 145 |
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 Loncrace WMA?
From Bejou, go 2 miles N on US 59 then 1/2 mile E on TRAIL.
Nearest towns: Bejou (next to it), Winger (5 miles), Riverland (8 miles) and Mahnomen (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 59.
What other public land is near Loncrace WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Bejou WMA: 1,936 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Gregory WMA: 617 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Wambach WMA: 1,287 acres, 2 miles away
- Mahgre WMA: 121 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Rush WMA: 813 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Vanose WMA: 2,497 acres, 4.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Loncrace WMA
Counting Loncrace WMA itself, 4,338 of the 29,973 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,083 |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,968 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 287 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Loncrace WMA?
In Mahnomen County, near Bejou. The DNR's directions: From Bejou, go 2 miles N on US 59 then 1/2 mile E on TRAIL.
Which deer permit area is Loncrace WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 297. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Loncrace WMA?
4,338 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Loncrace WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Bejou WMA (1.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Loncrace 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.