Waubun Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Waubun Wildlife Management Area is 2,412 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Mahnomen and Becker counties, near Waubun, inside Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese 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 areasWaubun WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,412 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Mahnomen County and Becker County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 297 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Waubun |
| DNR area office | Detroit Lakes |
| Nearest towns | Waubun (next to it), Ogema (3 mi) and White Earth (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Waubun WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Waubun WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Waubun WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Waubun WMA?
Waubun WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 297. The DNR registered 224 deer in DPA 297 in 2025, against 204 in 2024.
| DPA | Waubun WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 297 | 2,412 | 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 Waubun WMA?
From Waubun, go 3 W SH 113, 1/2 S TWP RD.
Nearest towns: Waubun (next to it), Ogema (3 miles), White Earth (5 miles) and Mahnomen (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 113, US 59 and MN 224.
What other public land is near Waubun WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Spring Creek WMA: 960 acres, next to it
- Coburn WMA: 400 acres, 0.7 miles away
- White Earth WMA: 43 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Santwire WMA: 538 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Moccasin WMA: 294 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Ogema Springs WMA: 680 acres, 4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Waubun WMA
Counting Waubun WMA itself, 6,066 of the 50,511 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,968 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,018 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 80 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Waubun WMA?
In Mahnomen and Becker counties, near Waubun. The DNR's directions: From Waubun, go 3 W SH 113, 1/2 S TWP RD.
Which deer permit area is Waubun WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 297. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Waubun WMA?
6,066 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Waubun WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Spring Creek 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, Waubun 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.