Snowshoe Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Snowshoe Wildlife Management Area is 241 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Marshall County, near Thief River Falls, 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 areasCounty, city and regional landSnowshoe WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 241 acres |
|---|---|
| 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) | Thief River Falls |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Thief River Falls (8 mi), Holt (8 mi) and Goodridge (13 mi) |
What can you hunt on Snowshoe WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for Snowshoe WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Snowshoe WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Snowshoe WMA?
Snowshoe WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 208. The DNR registered 465 deer in DPA 208 in 2025, against 409 in 2024.
| DPA | Snowshoe WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 208 | 241 | 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 Snowshoe WMA?
From Thief River Falls, go 2 miles E on SH 1 then 6 miles N on Co Rd 20 and Co Rd 12 then 1 3/4 miles E on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Thief River Falls (8 miles), Holt (8 miles), Goodridge (13 miles) and St. Hilaire (14 miles).
What other public land is near Snowshoe WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Elm Lake WMA: 15,736 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Agder WMA: 279 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Moylan WMA: 1,715 acres, 9.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Snowshoe WMA
Counting Snowshoe WMA itself, 4,567 of the 23,727 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (19.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 4,567 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Snowshoe WMA?
In Marshall County, near Thief River Falls. The DNR's directions: From Thief River Falls, go 2 miles E on SH 1 then 6 miles N on Co Rd 20 and Co Rd 12 then 1 3/4 miles E on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Snowshoe WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 208. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Snowshoe WMA?
4,567 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Snowshoe WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 3 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Elm Lake WMA (0.5 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, Snowshoe 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.