Moran Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Moran Wildlife Management Area is 426 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Red Lake County, near Red Lake Falls, inside Deer Permit Area 256. 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 1,042 deer in DPA 256 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 areasMoran WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 426 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Red Lake County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 256 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Red Lake Falls |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Red Lake Falls (6 mi), Crookston (11 mi) and St. Hilaire (12 mi) |
What is Moran WMA like?
Moran WMA is composed of marsh, timber, brush, grassland and cropland. It is managed for wetland and woodland wildlife. Marsh levels are managed with a water control structure. Timber is managed through commercial logging and small clearcuts.
Cropland on the WMA is part of a cooperative farming agreement between the DNR and a local landowner. It is open to hunting. The unit is two distinct parcels. The larger, northeast unit has better access and parking. The Black River runs through the east side of the unit. The surrounding timber is designated old growth, but open to the public for hunting, trapping and wildlife viewing.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Moran WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Moran WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Moran WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Moran WMA?
Moran WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 256. The DNR registered 1,042 deer in DPA 256 in 2025, against 1,033 in 2024.
| DPA | Moran WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 256 | 426 | 1,042 | 1,033 | 867 |
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 Moran WMA?
From the intersection of SH 32 and County Road 13 in Red Lake Falls: Take County Road 13 north 1.5 mi, and west 3 mi; then County Road 18 west/south 4 mi to a gravel township road. Go north 1/2 mi.
Nearest towns: Red Lake Falls (6 miles), Crookston (11 miles), St. Hilaire (12 miles) and Plummer (17 miles).
What other public land is near Moran WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Huot WMA: 424 acres, next to it
- Stipa WMA: 161 acres, 4 miles away
- Pembina WMA: 6,671 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Belgium WMA: 190 acres, 8.4 miles away
- Higinbotham WMA: 984 acres, 8.4 miles away
- Marcoux WMA: 380 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Moran WMA
Counting Moran WMA itself, 860 of the 27,079 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 860 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Moran WMA?
In Red Lake County, near Red Lake Falls. The DNR's directions: From the intersection of SH 32 and County Road 13 in Red Lake Falls: Take County Road 13 north 1.5 mi, and west 3 mi; then County Road 18 west/south 4 mi to a gravel township road. Go north 1/2 mi.
Which deer permit area is Moran WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 256. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Moran WMA?
860 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Moran WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Huot WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Moran 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.