Vanose Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Vanose Wildlife Management Area is 2,497 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Mahnomen County, near Bejou, inside Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear 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 areasVanose WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,497 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Mahnomen County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 297 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Bejou |
| DNR area office | Detroit Lakes |
| Nearest towns | Beaulieu (5 mi), Midway (6 mi) and Bejou (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Vanose WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Vanose WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Vanose WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Vanose WMA?
Vanose WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR registered 224 deer in DPA 297 in 2025, against 204 in 2024.
| DPA | Vanose WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 297 | 2,497 | 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 Vanose WMA?
From Bejou, 7 miles E on CSAH 1 then 1/2 mile S on TRAIL.
Nearest towns: Beaulieu (5 miles), Midway (6 miles), Bejou (6 miles) and The Ranch (7 miles).
What other public land is near Vanose WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Gregory WMA: 617 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Warren WMA: 68 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Foot WMA: 78 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Beaulieu WMA: 280 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Mahgre WMA: 121 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Killian WMA: 80 acres, 3.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Vanose WMA
Counting Vanose WMA itself, 4,448 of the 39,228 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,572 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 572 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 304 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Vanose WMA?
In Mahnomen County, near Bejou. The DNR's directions: From Bejou, 7 miles E on CSAH 1 then 1/2 mile S on TRAIL.
Which deer permit area is Vanose WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 297. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Vanose WMA?
4,448 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Vanose WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Gregory WMA (1.3 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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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, Vanose 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.