Santwire Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Santwire Wildlife Management Area is 538 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Mahnomen County, near Waubun, inside Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 224 deer in DPA 297 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 areasSantwire WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 538 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Mahnomen County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 297 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Waubun |
| DNR area office | Detroit Lakes |
| Nearest towns | Waubun (3 mi), Mahnomen (6 mi) and Riverland (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Santwire WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese and small game for Santwire WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Santwire WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Santwire WMA?
Santwire WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR registered 224 deer in DPA 297 in 2025, against 204 in 2024.
| DPA | Santwire WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 297 | 538 | 224 | 204 | 145 |
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 Santwire WMA?
From Waubun, go 4 miles N on US 59 then 1 1/2 miles E and 1/2 mile S on TWP RD.
Nearest towns: Waubun (3 miles), Mahnomen (6 miles), Riverland (7 miles) and Ogema (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 59 and MN 113.
What other public land is near Santwire WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Waubun WMA: 2,412 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Spring Creek WMA: 960 acres, 5.6 miles away
- White Earth WMA: 43 acres, 5.7 miles away
- Coburn WMA: 400 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Faith WMA: 661 acres, 8 miles away
- Ogema Springs WMA: 680 acres, 8.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Santwire WMA
Counting Santwire WMA itself, 1,591 of the 27,357 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 971 |
| State wildlife management areas | 578 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 42 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Santwire WMA?
In Mahnomen County, near Waubun. The DNR's directions: From Waubun, go 4 miles N on US 59 then 1 1/2 miles E and 1/2 mile S on TWP RD.
Which deer permit area is Santwire WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 297. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Santwire WMA?
1,591 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Santwire WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Waubun WMA (2.7 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Santwire 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.