Minnesota Valley

National Wildlife Refuge

Fall 2007/Spring 2008

Hunting Map & Regulations

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

3815 American Boulevard E.

Bloomington, MN 55425-1600

952/854-5900 

People with hearing impairments 

may reach Minnesota Valley NWR through 

the Federal Information Relay System at 

1 800/877 8339

Minnesota Valley's website address:

http://midwest.fws.gov/minnesotavalley

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov

 Rapids Lake 

 Louisville Swamp 

 (North of Middle Rd) 

 Louisville Swamp - 

 (South of Middle Rd) 

 Wilkie 

 Wilkie-Rice Lake Deer (Bow/Arrow) Deer (Shotgun) Deer (Muzzleloader)

Waterfowl

Small GameTurkey

Hunting at 

Minnesota 

Valley NWR

General Hunting Regulations

All Minnesota State regulations per-

taining to hunting and trapping will be 

enforced. You may only hunt and trap 

in the areas specified in this brochure 

during open state seasons. Each activ-

ity may be subject to refuge specific 

regulations.

For authorized hunting, refuge is open 

two hours before legal shooting time to 

one hour after legal shooting time.

Non-toxic shot must be used for all 

species. Possession of toxic shot is 

illegal.

Some areas have been posted in the 

field to protect buildings, private prop-

erty or critical habitat areas. Please 

respect any signed area you encounter 

in the field.

The possession of alcohol while hunting 

is prohibited.

Gas or electric boat motors are prohib-

ited on the refuge.

It is unlawful to drive a metal object 

into a tree or to hunt from a tree in 

which a metal object has been driven. 

Screw-in steps are prohibited.

All items, including boats, must be 

removed at the end of the day.

All stands must be removed from the 

refuge at the end of each day. It is un-

lawful to hunt from a permanent stand.

The distribution of bait and hunting 

over bait, including salt licks, mineral 

blocks or any chemical substance ap-

plied to the ground or vegetation is 

prohibited on National Wildlife Refuge 

Units.

No motorized vehicles are allowed 

within the hunting units except at des-

ignated parking areas.

No hunting on, across or within 50 feet 

of any road, parking lot or marked 

trail.

Target shooting is prohibited.

The use or possession of rifles, pistols 

or air guns is prohibited on the refuge.

Waterfowl Hunting will be held in 

accordance with all state and federal 

hunting regulations and seasons.

Allowed hunting activities by unit and 

unit specific regulations

Rapids Lake Unit

The entire unit is open to the following:

n Deer Hunting

Bow and Arrow Hunting

 Shotgun

 Muzzleloading

n Waterfowl Hunting

n Small Game Hunting

n Turkey Hunting

 Open for both fall and spring state 

 turkey seasons. A Minnesota state 

 turkey permit is required.

n Only non-toxic shot may be used or 

 possessed.

Louisville Swamp Unit

(North of Middle Road)

n Deer Hunting

 Bow and Arrow Hunting ONLY.

(South of Middle Road)

n Deer Hunting

 Bow and Arrow Hunting ONLY.

n Waterfowl Hunting

n Small Game Hunting

 Only non-toxic shot may be used or 

 possessed.

 Single projectiles are prohibited.

 Open to all state seasons with the 

 exception that furbearers and crows 

 MAY NOT be harvested.

n Turkey Hunting

 Open for both fall and spring state 

 turkey seasons. A Minnesota state 

 turkey permit is required.

n Only non-toxic shot may be used or 

 possessed.

Contacts:

Emergencies ..................................................... 911

To report violations

State Conservation Officer ............ 952-447-3374

Refuge Law Enforcement Officer . 952-858-0703

TIP Line ..........................................1-800-652-9093

Carver Rapids Unit - DNR .............. 952-492-6400

�

Wilkie Unit

n Deer Hunting

 Allowed west of Eagle Creek

 Bow and Arrow Hunting ONLY.

n Waterfowl Hunting

 Waterfowl hunting is restricted to 

 the Rice Lake area which is defined 

 as the area East of old Hwy 18 and 

 Hwy 169 West of Eagle Creek and 

 South of the Minnesota River and 

 North of Hwy 13.

n Only non-toxic shot may be used or 

 possessed.

No Small Game or Turkey Hunting 

will be allowed on this unit.

Trapping

Various refuge units are open to quali-

fied trappers with a refuge permit.

All trappers must attend a mandatory 

orientation session to receive a permit.

Trapping on the refuge is limited to 

muskrat, beaver, racoon, and mink.

Special Note

Other areas of the refuge may be 

hunted with a special refuge permit by 

people with disabilities or participants 

of the Young Waterfowlers Program.

For other hunting opportunities on

Waterfowl Production Areas visit our 

website at:http://midwest.fws.gov/

minnesotavalley/
��������� �����

����

����

������

����

����

����

Eagle

Creek

HWY 101

HWY 13

Savage

Bloomington

Eden

Prairie

Old HWY 18

P9

Blue Lake 

ValleyFair Treatment Plant

HWY 169 169

P8

P10

Long

Lake Horseshoe

 Lake

Renaissance

Festival

Rapids Lake

Unit

Louisville

Swamp Unit

(FWS)

CR 45

145th St.

Valley

View Dr.

Middle Road

Duck

Lane

P

P

P

P

HWY

169

Carver Rapids

 Unit (DNR)

P1

P5

P4

P3 ?

CR 9

Carver

Jordan

P2

P6

Rapid

Lake

Getting There

Rapids Lake Unit

DNR and Refuge land south of the 

Carver Bluffs development, mostly 

east of Co. Rd. 45, west of the Minnesota River, and downstream from the 

Co. Rd. 9 bridge near Jordan.

From the Twin Cities, exit HWY 212

on Co. Rd. 40 to Carver. From the

Carver Village Hall near the center 

of town, continue driving on Co. Rd.

40 south from town 2.2 miles to Co.

Rd. 45. Turn left. Drive .8 miles to

P1 on your left.

As for P1 above, but continue

driving another 1.1 miles south on

Co. Rd. 45 to Carver Highlands

Drive. Turn left. Drive straight

about a half-mile to P2. 

Louisville Swamp/Carver Rapids

State Park and Refuge land between 

the railroad and the Minnesota

River, south of the Bryan Rock

Quarry, and north of Duck Lane and

the Valley View Nursing Home.

Exit HWY 169 at 145th St. W. 

approximately 4.75 miles south of

Shakopee. Parking is 1/2 mile in.

Drive past the main entrance to the

Renaissance Festival, over the next

set of railroad tracks, and bear left.

Exit HWY 169 6-1/2 miles south of 

Shakopee on Bluff Drive. Drive 

1/4-mile in to Jordan Ave., and turn 

right. Park on the right edge of the

road, at least 100 yards from the

house. You’ll need to walk through

private property to get to the gate.

Please do so quietly.

Exit HWY 169 7.5 miles south of

Shakopee. Turn right on 173rd

St. Drive 1/4 mile on 173rd St. W. to 

a “T” intersection at Valley View 

Drive. Turn right. Drive over 

the railroad tracks carefully. 

Parking is 1/8 mile beyond the

tracks.

Exit HWY 169 as described for P5 

above. Turn left at the “T” 

intersection. Drive 1.5 miles south 

on Valley View Drive, past the Scott 

County Jail Annex, over the railroad 

tracks, and then turn right on Circle 

Drive. Drive 1 block uphill to 

Highview Drive. Turn left and drive 

1 block to Mendoza Ave. Turn right 

on Mendoza and drive 1 block to 

Duck Lane. Turn right on Duck 

Lane. Hunter Parking Area is at the 

gate 1 mile N. 4-wheel drive is

recommended until freeze-up. 

Wilkie Unit

Refuge land east of Valleyfair and 

west of Eagle Creek.

Hunter Parking P7 has been eliminated. Park in P8 and walk west on 

the mowed trail to the Middle Road.

Parking lot is 1/4 mile west of 

the HWY 169/101 interchange. 

Proceed west on HWY 101 to the

first stoplight and turn right. 

Waterfowl hunter access only. 

Drive through the gate at P8 .8

miles to the second gate. The boat

launch to Rice Lake is 50 yards east

of the road. Parking for your vehicle

and trailer is under the HWY 169

bridge to the west.

Parking is immediately north of the 

Minnesota River at the end of 

Bloomington Ferry Circle. You must 

cross the river on the bridge to

reach the Wilkie Unit. 

Rapids Lake and Louisville Swamp Units (DNR Deer Permit Area #337)

Wilkie Unit

P1 P2 P3 P4

P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10

1 P2 P3 P4

5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10

2 P3 P4

6 P7 P8 P9 P10

3 P4

7 P8 P9 P10

P1 P2 P3 P4

P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10

P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10

P1 P2 P3 P4

P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10

P1 P2 P3 P4

P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10

P1 P2 P3 P4

P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10

Carver

Note: Maps are not to scale!

����������

��������������������

�����������������������

����������������

������������

������������������������

���������������������

���������������������

�������������

��������������������

��������������������

���������������

���������� �����������

���������������������

��������������������������

�����������������������������

���������������������