Pelican Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Pelican Creek Wildlife Management Area is 357 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Grant County, near Elbow Lake, inside Deer Permit Area 273. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,013 deer in DPA 273 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 areasOther federal landPelican Creek WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 357 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Grant County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 273 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Elbow Lake |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Nearest towns | Ashby (4 mi), Dalton (5 mi) and Elbow Lake (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Pelican Creek WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Pelican Creek WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Pelican Creek WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Pelican Creek WMA?
Pelican Creek WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 273. The DNR registered 1,013 deer in DPA 273 in 2025, against 978 in 2024.
| DPA | Pelican Creek WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 273 | 357 | 1,013 | 978 | 968 |
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 Pelican Creek WMA?
From Elbow Lake, go 8 1/2 miles N on CSAH 4 and 20 then 1/2 mile E on CO RD 51.
Nearest towns: Ashby (4 miles), Dalton (5 miles), Elbow Lake (7 miles) and Wendell (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 52, I-94, US 59 and MN 78.
What other public land is near Pelican Creek WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Erlandson WMA: 283 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Pomme De Terre WMA: 35 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Berskow WMA: 166 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Strom-Bordson WMA: 35 acres, 6.6 miles away
- St. Olaf WMA: 42 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Gustave-Melby WMA: 81 acres, 6.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Pelican Creek WMA
Counting Pelican Creek WMA itself, 1,087 of the 25,632 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 727 |
| State wildlife management areas | 357 |
| Other federal land | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Pelican Creek WMA?
In Grant County, near Elbow Lake. The DNR's directions: From Elbow Lake, go 8 1/2 miles N on CSAH 4 and 20 then 1/2 mile E on CO RD 51.
Which deer permit area is Pelican Creek WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 273. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Pelican Creek WMA?
1,087 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Pelican Creek WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Erlandson WMA (4.8 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Pelican Creek 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.