Hunting/Trapping

Lake of the Woods has some of the best hunting in the world for deer, bear, waterfowl, three species of grouse, and more!

Grouse and Small game hunting. The hunting season for small game including three species of grouse, rabbits and squirrels.  Ruffed grouse are the most common of the three species and are all over the area.  They are prevalent, delicious to eat and live amongst the hundreds of thousands of acres of public hunting woods around the area.

Spruce grouse tend to frequent more of the pine forests and are a very dark meat.  Sharp Tailed Grouse tend to frequent more agriculture land and although , but in isolated pockets. Here’s a great video showing the opportunities in Lake of the Woods County! The ruffed grouse are the holy grail of the forest in Northern MN! A blast to hunt and boy are they prevalent! Get your shotguns ready and start practicing because trying to hit a ruffed grouse after a flush can be one of the most challenging but rewarding birds to hunt. And they taste pretty good too!

Check out the ATV page for maps of public land and walking trails available!

Waterfowl hunting. Waterfowl hunting kicks off in early September and remains open until late October. Hunters come to Lake of the Woods, the Rainy River, NW Angle and surrounding fields for some of the best waterfowl hunting in North America. If this is your first time, we recommend contacting one of our outfitters or resorts in getting a “lay of the land” and helping to ensure a successful and enjoyable hunt.  Hunters enjoy a nice variety of puddle ducks, divers, and Canada geese. Check out this video from four mile bay.

Deer hunting. In MN, bow hunters can get a jump-start on the deer hunting season as early as mid-September. For those with firearms, the season begins the first part of November.

Muzzleloaders have a brief window of opportunity at the end of November – but hurry, because the entire muzzleloader season is finished by mid-December.

Some deer hunters enjoy the thrill of staying at one of our NW Angle resorts and hunting the thousands of islands within the Ontario portion of Lake of the Woods.  Some trophy bucks are taken each year from islands both large and small in size.  Contact one of our NW Angle Resorts for more info.

Bear hunting. Lake of the Woods area is known for it’s abundance of black bears. Many of our resorts/outfitters offer full service accommodations. MN hunters need to apply for a permit ahead of the hunt.  In Ontario, bear tags can be purchased over the counter.  Feel free to contact Lake of the Woods Tourism at 1-800-382-3474 for more info.

Public Land open for hunting! If you’re looking for public hunting land, Lake of the Woods offers literally thousands of acres of state land, nearly all of which is open and available for hunting.  Some popular areas to begin are Beltrami Island State Forest, Red Lake Wildlife Management Area, Pine Island State Forest and Lake of the Woods State Forest are just a few places to begin.

Not sure where to hunt? Take advantage of one of the many hunter walking trails maintained by the Minnesota DNR. Check this out and more information by downloading the official Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook on the Minnesota DNR website. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/hunting/index.html

For more information on resorts/outfitters offering hunting, contact Lake of the Woods Tourism at 1-800-382-3474 or by emailing us at info@lakeofthewoodsmn.com.