Wood Eye Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Wood Eye Wildlife Management Area is 253 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Wadena County, near Sebeka, inside Deer Permit Area 241. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 7,163 deer in DPA 241 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 landWood Eye WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 253 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Wadena County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 241 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Sebeka |
| DNR area office | Park Rapids |
| Nearest towns | Sebeka (3 mi), Menahga (6 mi) and Nimrod (12 mi) |
What can you hunt on Wood Eye WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Wood Eye WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Wood Eye WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Wood Eye WMA?
Wood Eye WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 241. The DNR registered 7,163 deer in DPA 241 in 2025, against 6,563 in 2024.
| DPA | Wood Eye WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 241 | 253 | 7,163 | 6,563 | 6,052 |
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 Wood Eye WMA?
From Sebeka, go 1 mile north on U.S. Highway 71 then west on County Road 142 for 2 miles.
Nearest towns: Sebeka (3 miles), Menahga (6 miles), Nimrod (12 miles) and Bluffton (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 71.
What other public land is near Wood Eye WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Red Eye WMA: 144 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Rockwood WMA: 194 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Kitten Creek WMA: 156 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Menahga WMA: 353 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Sebeka WMA: 150 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Yaeger Lake WMA: 1,148 acres, 6.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Wood Eye WMA
Counting Wood Eye WMA itself, 420 of the 24,792 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 302 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 118 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Wood Eye WMA?
In Wadena County, near Sebeka. The DNR's directions: From Sebeka, go 1 mile north on U.S. Highway 71 then west on County Road 142 for 2 miles.
Which deer permit area is Wood Eye WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 241. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Wood Eye WMA?
420 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Wood Eye WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Red Eye WMA (2.8 miles).
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, Wood Eye 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.