Tilden Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Tilden Wildlife Management Area is 426 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Polk County, near Mentor, inside Deer Permit Area 257. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 979 deer in DPA 257 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasTilden WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 426 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Polk County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 257 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Mentor |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Mentor (4 mi), Erskine (10 mi) and Fertile (10 mi) |
What is Tilden WMA like?
This WMA is restored native prairie, a large type 5 marsh and several aspen groves. It is managed for prairie and forest wildlife, through small clearcuts and prescribed burning.
This is a good ruffed grouse, deer and waterfowl unit. Access to the lake is difficult. Prairie chickens, Sprague's pipit and upland sandpiper are all grassland birds that may be found on this unit. Winter recreation includes wildlife viewing and snowshoeing. Spring and fall can be great times to view migrating birds. Trails provide good access for hunting, trapping, and wildlife viewing.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Tilden WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Tilden WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Tilden WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Tilden WMA?
Tilden WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 257. The DNR registered 979 deer in DPA 257 in 2025, against 928 in 2024.
| DPA | Tilden WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 257 | 426 | 979 | 928 | 872 |
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 Tilden WMA?
From Mentor, go 4 1/2 miles W on CSAH 45 then 1/2 mile S on Township Rd.
Access is good with a road on the west and east sides.
Nearest towns: Mentor (4 miles), Erskine (10 miles), Fertile (10 miles) and Red Lake Falls (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 2 and MN 32.
What other public land is near Tilden WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Oak Ridge Marsh WMA: 56 acres, next to it
- Dugdale WMA: 960 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Maple Meadows WMA: 1,393 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Mentor Prairie WMA: 2,183 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Shypoke WMA: 161 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Godfrey WMA: 145 acres, 4.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Tilden WMA
Counting Tilden WMA itself, 14,320 of the 26,441 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (54.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 12,302 |
| State wildlife management areas | 2,018 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Tilden WMA?
In Polk County, near Mentor. The DNR's directions: From Mentor, go 4 1/2 miles W on CSAH 45 then 1/2 mile S on Township Rd.
Which deer permit area is Tilden WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 257. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Tilden WMA?
14,320 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Tilden WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Oak Ridge Marsh WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Tilden 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.