Minnesota Hunting Atlas

I'd be curious to know also. But my answer is not that I know of. The only maps I know of are the Walk in Area map (which is an absolute shit map IMO) and then there is the map you can buy, which is the All Outdoors Atlas. But it doesn't have WIAs or new WMAs of course. But I just draw them in each year.

Your best bet is the maps on the DNR Recreation Compass site. But it's not a hard copy of course.
 
The WIA book can be found in hard copy. I have found them in a little gas station in the county Zeb hunts most (MN).

You can also print out the few (or all) the sheets that you need.

I have found these maps to work fine. Need my readers on though.
 
They do but better my a magnifying glass while your at it...very small and just colors. spend the 30 bucks invest in onx maps. Can zoom in and if on it enough get a pretty good idea of habitat in areas. Etc cattails,water, grass, trees.
 
OnX and never look back. You can download areas if you don’t have service. Color code pins, add notes multiple states all in one.
 

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I agree the WIA maps do fine, but I've found some roads aren't marked, it's just a line with no road name (that are marked on my Outdoors Atlas) and some pages they print weird. The area I primarily hunt, ends up being printed on half the page because of the small area before you'd hit SD on the map. So it's even extra small. The map itself is fine, they could just make it a little more user friendly. The free maps I get for SD and Nebraska are great maps. I wish MN would do the same.
 
The De Lorne Altas for Minn used to be real good for showing WMA & WPA. In the truck they last for 3-4 years. But the new atlas don't show near the detail they use too. And never did show the WIA. Using both the atlas and the DNR WIA booklet works fairly well.
 
I actually pay the higher fee and have all states available. Have had this for 18 months now and it is pretty sweet.

By the way it works just as well in town. Cannot remember that neighbors name a couple doors down ... OnX!
 
Not that I know of, but they do have books of the Walk-In Access. Which I don't completely get the point of... either list all the public land or don't waste the money on making something with a fraction of it...

A few options... OnX. MN Recreation Compass. Or MN Recreation Compass and screenshot the areas you are targeting ahead of time, or print out the areas.
 
I went out to the DNR recreation compass and printed out a few pages of the areas I was interested in. I think MN would be well advised to print an Atlas similar to SD that shows all public hunting areas.
 
Seems like the big difference between South Dakota and Minnesota is that at least for pheasants, SD is more interested in the tourism dollars.
 
Zeb,

The WIA maps have it all. County, state and federal land is marked. The 2021 maps lost all the grid lines, but everything is there.

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Yellow is Federal WPA
Brown is state GMA
Red is WIA

There is green, purple and other colors too...
 
I will share that the DNR compass has (well at least in the past) been really, really slow in updating. It often took a year or more for new and added land to show up. I would contact the DNR and they would send me separate info.

Not sure if the new areas are marked faster now or not. I have not felt the need to branch out lately.

I have spoke to the DNR guys at Pheasant Fest and they acknowledged the issue, but did not have a great explanation.
 
Dakotzeb, I have one, but purchased many years ago. I believe I got it at Christophersons in Alexandria, MN.
 
BRITTMAN said:
I will share that the DNR compass has (well at least in the past) been really, really slow in updating. It often took a year or more for new and added land to show up. I would contact the DNR and they would send me separate info.

Not sure if the new areas are marked faster now or not. I have not felt the need to branch out lately.

I have spoke to the DNR guys at Pheasant Fest and they acknowledged the issue, but did not have a great explanation.
Click to expand...

A new acquisition doesn't show up in the Rec Compass until the WMA has been designated by a Commissioner's Designation Order. Until that point, the land may be owned by the state and open to hunting, etc., but technically it's not a WMA. Typically those orders are only issued once or twice a year, not on a rolling basis. Add to that the long, drawn-out process for real estate transactions, and a parcel can take 2-3 years from the time a partner buys it (such as PF or DU) and when it actually shows up in a public mapping resource. Occasionally there are other issues, but that explains 90% of the lag.
 
nater said:
A new acquisition doesn't show up in the Rec Compass until the WMA has been designated by a Commissioner's Designation Order. Until that point, the land may be owned by the state and open to hunting, etc., but technically it's not a WMA. Typically those orders are only issued once or twice a year, not on a rolling basis. Add to that the long, drawn-out process for real estate transactions, and a parcel can take 2-3 years from the time a partner buys it (such as PF or DU) and when it actually shows up in a public mapping resource. Occasionally there are other issues, but that explains 90% of the lag.
Click to expand...
That has always been my assumption as well.
 
There are places marked with signs that are not mapped. The maps should be able to be updated the day the tech is driving the sign posts into the ground. Then again the state of MN is not know for its top shelf IT systems ... just ask the DOT.
 
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