Rutledge Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Rutledge Wildlife Management Area is 795 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Pine County, near Willow River, inside Deer Permit Area 153. 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 1,144 deer in DPA 153 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 landState parksRutledge WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 795 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Pine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 153 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Willow River |
| DNR area office | Cloquet |
| Nearest towns | Rutledge (3 mi), Willow River (4 mi) and Askov (4 mi) |
What can you hunt on Rutledge 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 Rutledge WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Rutledge WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Rutledge WMA?
Rutledge WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 153. The DNR registered 1,144 deer in DPA 153 in 2025.
| DPA | Rutledge WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| DPA 153 | 795 | 1,144 |
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 Rutledge WMA?
From Rutledge, go 4 1/2 miles E on Co Rd 33, East on Swanson Road for 0.5 mile, then North on Pioneer Rd for 0.8 miles. From Rutledge, go 2 1/2 miles E on Co Rd 33.
Access to unit is through an easement across private lands to the Parking Lot. Main access from parking lot is across floating boardwalk.
Nearest towns: Rutledge (3 miles), Willow River (4 miles), Askov (4 miles) and Bruno (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-35, MN 23, MN 18 and MN 123.
What other public land is near Rutledge WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Mark Lake WMA: 82 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Bremen WMA: 447 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Sturgeon Lake WMA: 160 acres, 7.8 miles away
- Moose Lake WMA: 47 acres, 7.9 miles away
- Sandstone WMA: 2,046 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rutledge WMA
Counting Rutledge WMA itself, 2,778 of the 36,767 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State parks | 1,138 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 843 |
| State wildlife management areas | 797 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rutledge WMA?
In Pine County, near Willow River. The DNR's directions: From Rutledge, go 4 1/2 miles E on Co Rd 33, East on Swanson Road for 0.5 mile, then North on Pioneer Rd for 0.8 miles. From Rutledge, go 2 1/2 miles E on Co Rd 33.
Which deer permit area is Rutledge WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 153. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Rutledge WMA?
2,778 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rutledge WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 5 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Mark Lake WMA (4.1 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Rutledge 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.