Wapiti Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Wapiti Wildlife Management Area is 31,755 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Beltrami and Marshall counties, near Fourtown, inside Deer Permit Area 101. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 759 deer in DPA 101 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 areasWapiti WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 31,755 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Beltrami County and Marshall County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 101 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Fourtown |
| DNR area office | Thief Lake WMA |
| Nearest towns | Grygla (5 mi), Goodridge (18 mi) and Roseau (23 mi) |
What is Wapiti WMA like?
This is a large management area of interspersed brushlands, forested habitats and wetlands.
Management activities on this unit focus on maintaining brushland complexes and forested habitats of varying ages. Elk are year-round residents of this unit. Opportunities to hear elk bugling are limited to September and October.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Wapiti WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for Wapiti WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Wapiti WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Wapiti WMA?
Wapiti WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 101. The DNR registered 759 deer in DPA 101 in 2025, against 688 in 2024.
| DPA | Wapiti WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 101 | 31,755 | 759 | 688 | 594 |
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 Wapiti WMA?
From Four Town, go 9 miles N and W on CSAH 44 then 1 mile N on TWP RD.
Nearest towns: Grygla (5 miles), Goodridge (18 miles), Roseau (23 miles) and Roosevelt (25 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 89.
What other public land is near Wapiti WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Moose River WMA: 21,275 acres, next to it
- Grygla WMA: 3,444 acres, next to it
- Thief Lake WMA: 54,632 acres, next to it
- Marbel WMA: 87 acres, next to it
- Skime WMA: 870 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Benville WMA: 1,194 acres, 2.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Wapiti WMA
Counting Wapiti WMA itself, 61,899 of the 128,609 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (48.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 59,596 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,303 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Wapiti WMA?
In Beltrami and Marshall counties, near Fourtown. The DNR's directions: From Four Town, go 9 miles N and W on CSAH 44 then 1 mile N on TWP RD.
Which deer permit area is Wapiti WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 101. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Wapiti WMA?
61,899 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Wapiti WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Moose River 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, Wapiti 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.