Northern MN Hunting: Chippewa National Forest

If you love hunting, you will love the ample hunting opportunities in the Chippewa National Forest of Northern Minnesota. Close to Grand Rapids, MN - the Chippewa National Forest has over 1,000 square miles of wilderness and wildlife. Big game hunting, small game hunting, and waterfowl hunting are all in play here. There is an extremely wide variety of wildlife to hunt in northern Minnesota.
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Minnesota Deer Hunting

The Chippewa National Forest, and Itasca County as a whole offer an abundance of Whitetail deer. Whitetail archery season begins in mid-September and firearms season begins in early November. Your experience hunting deer in northern Minnesota will be like no other. Minnesota deer hunting is a special time at Big Timber Resort. Our hunters stay in cozy lakeside cabins and almost always fill their tags.
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Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock Hunting

Our personal favorite “up north” sport is Minnesota Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock hunting. Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock are exciting to hunt and are all over the Chippewa National Forest. If you stay at Big Timber Resort during your hunt, you can almost hunt right outside of your cabin - just go on a short walk and you’ll find them. The season for grouse, woodcock, and partridge starts in mid-September. Witness the beautiful turning leaves as you walk through the forest and hear the drumming of grouse on a beautiful Northwoods fall day. You’ll come back year after year.
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Duck and Goose Hunting

More ducks are bagged each year in Itasca County than any other county in the state. In Deer River, Sand Lake offers Minnesota duck hunters and goose hunters plenty of waterfowl resting and feeding areas. There are prime waterfowl hunting waters in the Chippewa National Forest and they are all accessible from Sand Lake: Bowstring River, Portage Lake, Rice Lake, and Birds Eye Lake. Many migratory birds come through each year, so this is a perfect place to hunt. Waterfowl season begins during the end of September each year.
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Northern MN Bear Hunting

Are you a big game hunter? Minnesota bear hunting is a thrill-ride like no other. Minnesota bear hunting season opens at the beginning of September. According to the DNR, the Minnesota bear population is about 30,000 and has been estimated to be increasing at a rate of 6 to 7 percent each year. Big Timber Resort offers warm cabins for hunters, and we invite you to try your luck hunting bears this coming fall. For detailed information on hunting bears in Minnesota, visit the MN DNR site. If you are interested in a professional Minnesota Bear Hunting guide, please contact us today!

The Chippewa National Forest of Northern Minnesota offers a wide array of wildlife for sportsmen and hunters of all ages. Big Timber Resort offers year-round MN cabin rentals - whether you come in the summer with your family, in the fall to hunt, or in the winter to snowmobile. Your time hunting up north at Big Timber will be a memory for years to come. Call today to reserve your cabin for your Minnesota hunting vacation.