Thorson Prairie Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Thorson Prairie Wildlife Management Area is 1,108 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Polk County, near Crookston, inside Deer Permit Areas 256 and 265. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,042 deer in DPA 256 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 areasThorson Prairie WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 1,108 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Polk County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 256, DPA 265 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Crookston |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Beltrami (8 mi), Fertile (10 mi) and Crookston (11 mi) |
What is Thorson Prairie WMA like?
This WMA is three miles long and follows the north-south beach ridges of glacial Lake Agassiz. Much of the grassland is native prairie. This unit is an important wildlife corridor between other nearby grasslands.
Management emphasis is for prairie wildlife. Techniques used include prescribed burns, seeding of native grasses and forbs, brush mowing, and timber management for young aspen and brush. The mosaic of grassland, brush, timber and marsh provides habitat for the full array of prairie wildlife. Prairie chickens and numerous other prairie birds are found here. The area is excellent deer habitat. Occasionally moose are spotted here.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Thorson Prairie WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, mourning doves and small game for Thorson Prairie WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Thorson Prairie WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Thorson Prairie WMA?
Thorson Prairie WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 1,042 deer in DPA 256 in 2025, against 1,033 in 2024.
| DPA | Thorson Prairie WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 256 | 978 | 1,042 | 1,033 | 867 |
| DPA 265 | 130 | 1,177 | 1,067 | 930 |
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 Thorson Prairie WMA?
From Crookston, go 1.5 miles E on US Hwy2 then 1 mile S on MN 9, then 4.5 miles SE on State Highway 102 then 4 miles east on CR 45 and 1.5 miles south on a township road.
Nearest towns: Beltrami (8 miles), Fertile (10 miles), Crookston (11 miles) and Mentor (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 102.
What other public land is near Thorson Prairie WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Tympanuchus WMA: 848 acres, next to it
- Chicog WMA: 2,432 acres, 1 mile away
- Burnham WMA: 990 acres, 2 miles away
- Kertsonville WMA: 371 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Trail WMA: 609 acres, 3 miles away
- Onstad WMA: 280 acres, 4.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Thorson Prairie WMA
Counting Thorson Prairie WMA itself, 9,472 of the 33,956 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (27.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 4,893 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,632 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,947 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Thorson Prairie WMA?
In Polk County, near Crookston. The DNR's directions: From Crookston, go 1.5 miles E on US Hwy2 then 1 mile S on MN 9, then 4.5 miles SE on State Highway 102 then 4 miles east on CR 45 and 1.5 miles south on a township road.
Which deer permit area is Thorson Prairie WMA in?
DPA 256 (978 acres) and DPA 265 (130 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Thorson Prairie WMA?
9,472 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Thorson Prairie WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Tympanuchus WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Thorson Prairie 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).
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