Mcgregor Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Mcgregor Wildlife Management Area is 651 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Aitkin County, near McGregor, inside Deer Permit Areas 173 and 171. The DNR's WMA data lists deer and ducks and geese for it. Hunters registered 528 deer in DPA 173 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 areasMcgregor WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 651 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Aitkin County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 173, DPA 171 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer and ducks and geese |
| Nearest town (DNR) | McGregor |
| DNR area office | Aitkin |
| Nearest towns | McGregor (next to it), Tamarack (7 mi) and Palisade (9 mi) |
What is Mcgregor WMA like?
This WMA contains formerly commercial wild rice beds. Grass and brush dominate the low ground on this unit. The Sandy River runs through the southern portion of the unit. The east side of the unit joins the Grayling WMA.
Management emphasis for this WMA is on deer, waterfowl and open land species such as sharp-tailed grouse and sandhill cranes. A railroad runs through the southeast corner of unit. There are no developed facilities on this unit. This WMA could offer good opportunities for winter predator, coyote and fox, hunting. Look for waterfowl and sandhill cranes in the spring. There is mink and muskrat trapping available on this WMA.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Mcgregor WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer and ducks and geese for Mcgregor WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Mcgregor WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Mcgregor WMA?
Mcgregor WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 528 deer in DPA 173 in 2025, against 452 in 2024.
| DPA | Mcgregor WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 173 | 416 | 528 | 452 | 413 |
| DPA 171 | 235 | 1,165 | 1,068 | 819 |
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 Mcgregor WMA?
From McGregor go 1.3 miles N. on Hwy 65 the WMA lies on both sides of the highway.
The best access is on the west or east ends of the unit, off of county roads.
Nearest towns: McGregor (next to it), Tamarack (7 miles), Palisade (9 miles) and Wright (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 210 and MN 65.
What other public land is near Mcgregor WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Grayling Marsh WMA: 9,960 acres, next to it
- Kimberly Marsh WMA: 10,564 acres, 1 mile away
- Lawler WMA: 235 acres, 5 miles away
- Sandy Lake Resevoir WMA: 24 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Salo Marsh WMA: 2,036 acres, 8.1 miles away
- Newstrom Lake WMA: 796 acres, 8.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mcgregor WMA
Counting Mcgregor WMA itself, 12,759 of the 32,626 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (39.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 8,310 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 4,449 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mcgregor WMA?
In Aitkin County, near McGregor. The DNR's directions: From McGregor go 1.3 miles N. on Hwy 65 the WMA lies on both sides of the highway.
Which deer permit area is Mcgregor WMA in?
DPA 173 (416 acres) and DPA 171 (235 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Mcgregor WMA?
12,759 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mcgregor WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Grayling Marsh WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Mcgregor 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.