Walk-In Access (WIA) Program

...providing public hunting opportunities on private lands thanks to volunteer landowners.

• New for 2013: Hunters must purchase a WIA Validation to legally hunt WIA Sites this fall. 

  It is a nominal $3, a portion of which covers the license transaction with the remainder to be used for a hunter evaluation next year. The validation will also give DNR and policymakers a way to track the number of hunters whom hunt Walk-In Access sites. Landowners cannot give others permission to hunt without a validation. 

• Walk-In Access sites are open during any legal hunting season from Sept. 1 to May 31. Please respect private property and verify public hunting areas by observing boundary signs.
• Clay County WIA # 55 is within the Clay County Game Refuge and is closed to waterfowl hunting during the regular season. Open to all other hunting.
• Walk-In Access sites (WIA) are only open to hunting where WIA boundaries are posted with WIA signs. Landowners may opt out of the program, and will be reflected in the Online Atlas and the WIA County Interactive Map.
• Only walk-in hunting traffic is allowed on enrolled acres. Land enrolled in the WIA program is not open to trapping, trap shooting, dog training or activities other than hunting. No vehicle traffic is allowed. Parking is along roads or in designated parking areas.
• Hunters must follow the Code of Conduct  developed for WIA lands.
• DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE "WALK-IN ACCESS SITE STATUS CHANGES" FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON WIA SITE CHANGES
  • Walk-In Access Site Status Changes

WIA maps & data

All map data and map products (including Google Earth, Google Map, and GPS files) are general and do not accurately represent the actual legal or established boundary of these areas, and thus should be used for reference only. Please respect private property and verify public hunting areas by observing boundary signs.

Eligible Lands

• Enrollment is limited to 35 counties.

• Hunting is allowed during legal seasons between September 1st and May 31st.

• Landowners are afforded liability protection through the Recreational Use Statutes. Specifically under Sections 604A.20 through 604A.27 under Public Benefit or Function Activities in the CIVIL LIABILITY LIMITATIONS Chapter

• Must be at least 40 acres in size or it must be contiguous with a public hunting unit (e.g. WPA or WMA) or another WIA parcel that is 40 acres or more in size.

• Priority is given to lands enrolled in a conservation program such as the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) or the state Reinvest in Minnesota Reserve program (RIM), or other state and federal conservation programs.

• Lands not enrolled in a conservation program may be eligible if high quality wildlife cover exists and is maintained by the landowner.

• Lands within 500 feet of a home or corral occupied by livestock cannot be enrolled, unless they are occupied by the cooperator or his/her livestock.

• The enrolled parcel must be accessible from a public road.

• The habitat must be maintained through the enrollment period.

• Landowners, or the State, may terminate the contract at any time (effective 30 days after written notice of termination is received).

2014 Enrollment begins March 1st.

To find out more information about enrolling land in the Walk-In Access program, please call your local Soil and Water Conservation District office (SWCD). SWCD contact info

Printable 2014 MN Walk-In Program Fact Sheet

Program Info

The goal of the Walk-In Access (WIA) program is to provide new hunting opportunities on private land that is already enrolled in existing conservation programs or lands with high quality wildlife cover.

The WIA program is entirely voluntary for landowners. Most landowners chose to enroll their property for two or three years. Enrolled lands are covered under the Minnesota recreational use laws that limit landowners' liability. DNR conservation officers handle trespass and hunting violations.

WIA started in 2011 as a two-year pilot program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Voluntary Public Access Program. The DNR continues to seek permanent funding to continue the program in 2015 and beyond.

 WIA acres and site data for 2013.

Minnesota’s Walk-In Access Program is Established in Law

The 2012 Minnesota Legislature established a Walk-In Access (WIA) Program (Minnesota Statutes 97A.126) to provide public access to wildlife habitat on private land for hunting, excluding trapping.

Donations

The long term future of the Walk-In Access Hunting program will depend, in part, on financial donations from individuals and organizations.

 
When hunters purchase a small game or deer license they will be asked if they would like to donate $1, $3 or $5 to help fund the Walk-In Access Program.

Individuals and organizations may also mail in donations of $25 or more for the WIA Program to the DNR. If you wish to make a donation please make the check out to the MN Dept. of Natural Resources and write “Walk-In Access” in the memo line. DO NOT use this form to purchase a WIA Validation which is required to legally hunt these sites. Validations can be purchased from DNR Online License Sales. Please fill out the Walk-In Access Donation Form and mail it with the check to:

Walk-In Access Program Coordinator
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
261 Highway 15 South
New Ulm, MN 56073

For more information about donating to the Walk-In Access Program please contact us at walk-in@state.mn.us or 507-359-6037.

Help Evaluate the Pilot Program

If you hunted a WIA, we want to hear from you about your experience. Please take a few minutes to answer five questions about your WIA hunts, our website and map products, and offer comments on the program. Start by clicking the link below.

WIA program evaluation