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WMA in Marshall County
Hunting Espelie Wildlife Management Area, Minnesota public land
A 2026-27 hunter guide to this wildlife management area in Marshall County, 3,644 acres.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Espelie Wildlife Management Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Espelie Wildlife Management Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Espelie WMA at a glance for hunters
You get 3,644 acres at Espelie WMA, which lies in Marshall County. By size it ranks 8th of the 28 wildlife management areas we list in Marshall County. DPA 111 (it also reaches DPA 208) sets the deer limit here: antlerless permit lottery this year.
The managing office is Thief River Falls (DNR Wildlife), thiefriver.wildlife@state.mn.us. DNR lists Pittman-Robertson as the federal aid source for Espelie WMA.
Listed game: deer, black bear, small game, ruffed grouse and woodcock, sharp-tailed grouse.
- White-tailed Deer
- Black Bear
- Eastern Cottontail
- Gray Squirrel
- Snowshoe Hare
- Ruffed Grouse
- American Woodcock
- Sharp-tailed Grouse
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Espelie Wildlife Management Area
What is allowed on Espelie WMA
Short version of the rules that apply on Espelie WMA, taken from the managing agency.
| What | Rule here |
|---|---|
| Hunting, trapping | Regular seasons |
| Vehicles | Designated roads, lots |
| Target shooting | Not allowed |
| Guns in transit | Cased, unloaded |
| Camping | Designated or permit |
| Portable stands, blinds | Remove daily |
| Overnight stands, northwest | Nov 1-Dec 31 |
| Dogs | Leash Apr 16-Jul 14 |
| Drones | Not allowed |
| Gear left overnight | Not allowed |
Sources: record, agency rules; booklet: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Deer on Espelie WMA in 2026-27
Deer on Espelie WMA fall under DPA 111: antlerless permit lottery, 100 series, 25 lottery permits. Firearm hunters who want a doe in DPA 111 must win the antlerless lottery (apply by Sept. 10).
| Deer window | From | To | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Youth deer | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Firearms, 100 series | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Muzzleloader | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 |
CWD testing in DPA 111: optional. DNR flags special WMA regulations for DPA 111. DPA 111 spans 1,386 square miles. DPA 111 reaches Lake of the Woods, Beltrami, Roseau and Marshall counties.
More DPAs here: DPA 208 (either-sex)
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Espelie WMA hunting calendar 2026-27
Espelie WMA season dates for 2026-27, picked by its game species list and its deer permit area.
| Species | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | DPAs 111, 208 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPAs 111, 208 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 100 series | DPA 111 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 200 series | DPA 208 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | No-quota area | No Quota Area | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Quota areas | Quota area 12 | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Ruffed, spruce grouse | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Sharp-tailed grouse | Northwest zone | Northwest zone | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 | |
| Rabbits, hares | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Jackrabbit | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Take-a-Kid | Take-a-Kid | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Raccoon, foxes | Hunting (north) | North furbearer zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Badger, opossum, weasels | Hunting (north) | North furbearer zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon, foxes | Hunting (south) | South furbearer zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Badger, opossum, weasels | Hunting (south) | South furbearer zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunt and trap (north) | North furbearer zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Dec 15, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunt and trap (south) | South furbearer zone | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Mar 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
Furbearer rows list both zones: the line follows I-94 and US 10, so check which side of it you hunt.
From the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026. All Minnesota seasons.
Espelie WMA: access points
1 parking point and the route text DNR posts for Espelie WMA.
| Subunit | Acres | Nearest town | Hunting | Parking | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espelie WMA | 3,644 | Grygla | Open | 1 | DNR |
- Espelie WMA: From Grygla, go 2 miles S on CSAH 54 then 2 miles W on TWP RD.
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Public land within a drive of Espelie WMA
When Espelie WMA is crowded, Willow-Run WMA sits 4.6 mi away to the east.
| Place | Type | Acres | DPA | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow-Run WMA | WMA | 3,564 | 111 | 4.6 mi | east |
| Sem WMA | WMA | 2,838 | 111, 208 | 4.7 mi | south |
| Valley WMA | WMA | 656 | 101 | 4.7 mi | northwest |
| Moylan WMA | WMA | 1,716 | 208 | 6.2 mi | west |
| Carmelee WMA | WMA | 3,907 | 111 | 6.4 mi | southeast |
| Benville WMA | WMA | 1,194 | 101 | 6.5 mi | northeast |
| Eckvoll WMA | WMA | 6,490 | 203 | 7.7 mi | northwest |
| Reiner WMA | WMA | 121 | 208 | 7.8 mi | south |
Points: DNR WMA detail page map point (Compass feature_detail). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Espelie WMA nearest towns and help
Fuel and food: Grygla lies 2.8 mi from Espelie WMA. For more services, Thief River Falls (8,779) is 26 mi out. DNR's nearest town for this unit: Grygla. Nearest DNR desk: Thief Lake WMA Area Wildlife Office, 20 mi.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grygla | Marshall | 171 | 2.8 mi | northeast |
| Goodridge | Pennington | 107 | 11 mi | southwest |
| Holt | Marshall | 87 | 25 mi | west |
| Middle River | Marshall | 294 | 26 mi | northwest |
| Thief River Falls | Pennington | 8,779 | 26 mi | southwest |
Towns from the 2024 Census gazetteer and population estimates; offices and businesses from services.json (DNR and business listings, chain stores and license agents left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 28, 2026.
Espelie WMA: deer taken in DPA 111
412 deer were registered in DPA 111 during 2025, 0.3 per square mile of the unit.
| Year | Adult bucks | Other deer | DPA harvest | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 403 | 9 | 412 | 0.30 |
| 2024 | 364 | 6 | 370 | 0.27 |
| 2023 | 311 | 7 | 318 | 0.23 |
| 2022 | 281 | 9 | 290 | 0.21 |
| 2021 | 390 | 16 | 406 | 0.29 |
| 2020 | 299 | 48 | 347 | 0.25 |
| 2019 | 326 | 136 | 462 | 0.32 |
| 2018 | 418 | 192 | 610 | 0.42 |
| 2017 | 462 | 178 | 640 | 0.45 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
Espelie WMA and the rest of Marshall County
Marshall County has 36 public hunting areas on file, Espelie WMA among them. Marshall County bear hunting runs through quota area 12, 12 (100 permits). The county sits in turkey permit area 509. The county touches elk zone 10. Nearest DNR area wildlife office to the county centre: Karlstad Area Wildlife Office, (218) 772-1260.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
When shooting starts and stops at Espelie WMA
Sun times computed for Espelie WMA itself, since the 2026 booklet prints no tables.
| Date | Why | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal from | Big game to | Waterfowl to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 7:03 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:13 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. | 7:45 p.m. | 7:15 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:33 a.m. | 6:46 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. | 7:16 p.m. | 6:46 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:16 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. | 5:27 p.m. | 4:57 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:48 a.m. | 4:34 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 4:34 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 8:13 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 4:37 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:37 a.m. | 8:10 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. | 8:40 p.m. | 8:10 p.m. |
Pheasant hours start at 9 a.m.
Hours rule from the DNR booklet shooting hours page; sun times calculated for the unit point (NOAA method, Central Time); checked October 28, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Ranges a Espelie Wildlife Management Area hunter can reach
From Espelie Wildlife Management Area, the nearest listed range is Lock & Load Hunting Club at 26 miles; public ranges on file are over 60 miles away. Plinking on the property is not allowed.
From the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 28, 2026; target shooting rule from the DNR WMA rules.
Espelie WMA region in a few frames
Hunter questions about Espelie WMA, short answers
Does Espelie WMA allow public hunting?
It is open: DNR lists every subunit of Espelie WMA with an open or partial hunting status.
Can hunters set up a tent camp on Espelie WMA?
Only at designated sites or by permit.
What deer permit area is Espelie WMA in?
The record puts it in DPA 111: antlerless permit lottery. Its firearms season: Nov 7 to Nov 22, 2026.
Espelie WMA acreage: how much ground is it?
It runs to 3,644 acres.
How do you get to Espelie WMA?
From Grygla, go 2 miles S on CSAH 54 then 2 miles W on TWP RD. 1 parking spot on the DNR map.
What game species does Espelie WMA list?
The agency names deer, black bear, small game, ruffed grouse and woodcock and sharp-tailed grouse for Espelie WMA.
Espelie WMA and CWD: what applies?
For CWD, DPA 111 is outside the CWD zones, with optional testing.
Espelie WMA: who is the land manager?
Questions about Espelie WMA go to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at its Thief River Falls office.
Espelie WMA neighbors: what public land is nearby?
Short-drive options from the map: Willow-Run WMA (4.6 mi), Sem WMA (4.7 mi) and Valley WMA (4.7 mi).
On the deer opener, when can you shoot at Espelie WMA?
Deer shooting on Nov. 7 opens at 6:46 a.m. and ends at 5:27 p.m. at the Espelie WMA point.
Can blinds stay up overnight at Espelie WMA?
Only for the day: WMA rules make you remove portable stands and blinds daily, outside the northwest Nov. 1-Dec. 31 exception.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); GlacierNPS (Public domain).