Philbrook Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Philbrook Wildlife Management Area is 337 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Todd County, near Philbrook, inside Deer Permit Area 214. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,781 deer in DPA 214 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 landPhilbrook WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 337 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Todd County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 214 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Philbrook |
| DNR area office | Little Falls |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Motley (4 mi), Staples (9 mi) and Pillager (10 mi) |
What is Philbrook WMA like?
This WMA is open water wetland with cattails, low land sedge and brush with small grass fields and mixed oak-aspen-pine woods. Management of this unit focuses on maintaining and improving the habitat for a diversity of native plants and wildlife, with an emphasis on forested habitats and associated species.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Philbrook WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Philbrook WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Philbrook WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Philbrook WMA: Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on designated routes and parking lots. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles are prohibited anywhere on the WMA, including on designated parking lots and access road.
How many deer are taken around Philbrook WMA?
Philbrook WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 214. The DNR registered 4,781 deer in DPA 214 in 2025, against 4,380 in 2024.
| DPA | Philbrook WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 214 | 337 | 4,781 | 4,380 | 4,063 |
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 Philbrook WMA?
From Philbrook, go 1.5 miles east on township road (450th Street).
Disabled access is limited to the township road (450th Street). There is one parking lot on the west side of the WMA at the end of 450th Street. There are several trails on the unit, some of which will be maintained annually as hunter walking trails as time and manpower allow. One trail leading east from the parking lot eventually heads south through the unit and ends on the wetland shoreline of Mud Lake, and is opened seasonally to vehicles (travel at your own risk) to allow access to the lake for waterfowl hunting. Vehicle access is restricted along this trail outside the waterfowl and firearms deer seasons, and may be closed as needed during those seasons if road conditions warrant. There is also an old illegal trail leading north near the west side of the WMA that is now being maintained as a walking trail. This and several other trails, are also gated, and remain restricted to foot traffic only throughout the year. Horse riding is not allowed anywhere on the WMA throughout the year. Passenger vehicles are prohibited on the WMA except on designated access roads when opened seasonally. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles are prohibited anywhere on the WMA throughout the year, including on designated parking lots and access roads.
Nearest towns: Motley (4 miles), Staples (9 miles), Pillager (10 miles) and Aldrich (14 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 10 and MN 210.
What other public land is near Philbrook WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Lawrence Lake WMA: 202 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Staples WMA: 1,429 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Kobliska WMA: 411 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Stanchfield Lake WMA: 83 acres, 5.8 miles away
- Ruff-Nik WMA: 1,060 acres, 8 miles away
- Long Prairie River WMA: 965 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Philbrook WMA
Counting Philbrook WMA itself, 1,013 of the 24,731 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 667 |
| State wildlife management areas | 346 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Philbrook WMA?
In Todd County, near Philbrook. The DNR's directions: From Philbrook, go 1.5 miles east on township road (450th Street).
Which deer permit area is Philbrook WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 214. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Philbrook WMA?
1,013 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Philbrook WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Lawrence Lake WMA (4.2 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Philbrook 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.