Trail Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Trail Wildlife Management Area is 609 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Polk County, near Fertile, inside Deer Permit Area 256. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese 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 areasTrail WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 609 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Polk County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 256 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Fertile |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Fertile (7 mi), Mentor (9 mi) and Beltrami (11 mi) |
What is Trail WMA like?
This WMA is remnant tall grass prairie and marsh with significant amounts of brush and trees. It is managed for a diversity of native plants & wildlife through prairie restoration, prescribed burning, small clearcuts, and cooperative farming agreements.
The Pembina Trail is on the West side of the WMA. This unit is part of a complex of public lands located along the beach ridges of Polk County. The historic Pembina Trail bisects the west side.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Trail WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese and small game for Trail WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Trail WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Trail WMA?
Trail WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 256. The DNR registered 1,042 deer in DPA 256 in 2025, against 1,033 in 2024.
| DPA | Trail WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 256 | 609 | 1,042 | 1,033 | 867 |
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 Trail WMA?
From the intersection of State Hwy's 102 and 32 in Fertile, go 5.5 mi north on State Hwy 32, then 2 mi west on township road.
Access is good with roads on the North, West, and South sides.
Nearest towns: Fertile (7 miles), Mentor (9 miles), Beltrami (11 miles) and Erskine (14 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 102 and MN 32.
What other public land is near Trail WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Burnham WMA: 990 acres, next to it
- Godfrey WMA: 145 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Shypoke WMA: 161 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Onstad WMA: 280 acres, 2 miles away
- Dugdale WMA: 960 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Chicog WMA: 2,432 acres, 2.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Trail WMA
Counting Trail WMA itself, 9,486 of the 26,233 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (36.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 4,829 |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,421 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,236 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Trail WMA?
In Polk County, near Fertile. The DNR's directions: From the intersection of State Hwy's 102 and 32 in Fertile, go 5.5 mi north on State Hwy 32, then 2 mi west on township road.
Which deer permit area is Trail WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 256. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Trail WMA?
9,486 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Trail WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Burnham WMA (next to it).
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, Trail 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.