Walk-In Access
The Walk-In Access (WIA) program provides public hunting on private land and compensates landowners for providing that access. Through WIA, over 29,000 acres on more than 250 sites in western, central and southern Minnesota are open for public hunting.
A Walk-In Access sign posted in Brown County
The Brown SWCD office works in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to enroll and re-enroll landowners into the program who are willing to open their land to public hunting. Below are some of the highlights of this voluntary program:
- Priority is given to lands already enrolled in federal or state conservation programs like CRP, CREP, RIM, WRP.
- Lands not enrolled in a conservation program may be eligible if high quality natural cover exists and is maintained by the landowner.
- Minimum size of 40 acres or it must be contiguous with another WIA parcel that is 40 acres or more in size.
- Access during all open hunting seasons
- DNR Conservation Officers are responsible for any enforcement action
- Signage to mark property boundaries is provided by the program
Brown County is currently home to 10 Walk-In Access hunting sites. For maps of all sites, see the DNR downloadable atlas below.
More information: