Carlos Avery WMA

Hunters, trappers and wildlife watchers in the Anoka and Chisago county area benefit from the management, habitat and oversight work of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area office.

The five DNR wildlife staff based at Carlos Avery oversee 25,000 acres of forest, sweeping grasslands, wetlands and small lakes that provide extensive outdoor recreation opportunities just 30 miles north of the Twin Cities. This popular hunting and wildlife watching area includes 23 actively managed pools that provide waterfowl habitat across more than 11,700 acres.

Wetlands cover nearly two-thirds of the WMA. These extensive marshes, along with intensively managed uplands, are home to uncommon species and are favorites to hunters, trappers and bird and wildlife watchers.

• Maintaining 68 public use facilities (gates, parking lots and water accesses), 39 miles of access roads (grading, mowing and plowing), and 110 miles of boundary.
• Planting wildlife food plots (2016: 50 acres corn, 25 acres rye, 8 acres radish/turnip).
• Writing plans for and conducting prescribed burns (2016: 3 plans written or updated, 5 burns completed for 560 acres).
• Helping plan and coordinate three special hunts (deer and duck hunts for hunters with mobility impairments and a controlled duck hunt primarily for youth and senior hunters).
• Reviewing, recommending and prioritizing land acquisitions (2016: reviewed 8, recommended 5, 1 acquired to date).
• Issuing special use permits for activities that require them (80-100 special use permits issued annually for coon hunting, trapping, predator calling, research etc.).