Maple Meadows Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Maple Meadows Wildlife Management Area is 1,393 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Polk County, near Fertile, inside Deer Permit Area 257. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 979 deer in DPA 257 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 areasMaple Meadows WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,393 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Polk County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 257 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Fertile |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Mentor (6 mi), Fertile (6 mi) and Erskine (10 mi) |
What is Maple Meadows WMA like?
This WMA is composed of wet prairie, sedge meadow, brush thickets, and scattered groves of aspen. The management of the unit is to preserve the aspen parkland habitat and the diversity of the plant and animal species.
This is an excellent mix of native prairie vegetation and aspen groves. It is a good area for viewing wildlife. Bald eagles nest here. Several unique plant communities are found here, including a calcareous fen, mesic and wet prairie, and rare plants. Spring bird migration watching and summer wildflower photography.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Maple Meadows WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Maple Meadows WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Maple Meadows WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Maple Meadows WMA?
Maple Meadows WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 257. The DNR registered 979 deer in DPA 257 in 2025, against 928 in 2024.
| DPA | Maple Meadows WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 257 | 1,393 | 979 | 928 | 872 |
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 Maple Meadows WMA?
From Fertile, go 5 1/2 miles N on SH 32 then 1 1/2 miles E on CSAH 41.
Parking lots are located on the north and south edges of the WMA. Access is good on the north and south boundaries.
Nearest towns: Mentor (6 miles), Fertile (6 miles), Erskine (10 miles) and Winger (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 32 and MN 102.
What other public land is near Maple Meadows WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Godfrey WMA: 145 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Shypoke WMA: 161 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Dugdale WMA: 960 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Oak Ridge Marsh WMA: 56 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Tilden WMA: 426 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Woodside WMA: 79 acres, 2.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Maple Meadows WMA
Counting Maple Meadows WMA itself, 8,029 of the 33,058 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (24.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 5,025 |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,004 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Maple Meadows WMA?
In Polk County, near Fertile. The DNR's directions: From Fertile, go 5 1/2 miles N on SH 32 then 1 1/2 miles E on CSAH 41.
Which deer permit area is Maple Meadows WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 257. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Maple Meadows WMA?
8,029 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Maple Meadows WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Godfrey WMA (1.1 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, Maple Meadows 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.