Moylan Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Moylan Wildlife Management Area is 1,715 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Marshall County, near Grygla, inside Deer Permit Area 208. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 465 deer in DPA 208 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasMoylan WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,715 acres in 8 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Marshall County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 208 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Grygla |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Goodridge (4 mi), Grygla (5 mi) and Thief River Falls (16 mi) |
What can you hunt on Moylan WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for Moylan WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Moylan WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Moylan WMA?
Moylan WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 208. The DNR registered 465 deer in DPA 208 in 2025, against 409 in 2024.
| DPA | Moylan WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 208 | 1,715 | 465 | 409 | 378 |
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 Moylan WMA?
From Grygla, go 5 1/2 miles W on SH 89 then 1/2 mile S 2 miles W on SH 219 then 3/4 mile S on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Goodridge (4 miles), Grygla (5 miles), Thief River Falls (16 miles) and Holt (17 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 219, MN 89 and MN 1.
What other public land is near Moylan WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Espelie WMA: 3,644 acres, next to it
- Eckvoll WMA: 6,491 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Sharp WMA: 159 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Sem WMA: 2,838 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Valley WMA: 656 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Elm Lake WMA: 15,736 acres, 2.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Moylan WMA
Counting Moylan WMA itself, 8,531 of the 63,304 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 8,458 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 73 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Moylan WMA?
In Marshall County, near Grygla. The DNR's directions: From Grygla, go 5 1/2 miles W on SH 89 then 1/2 mile S 2 miles W on SH 219 then 3/4 mile S on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Moylan WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 208. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Moylan WMA?
8,531 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Moylan WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Espelie WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Moylan 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.