Minnesota Valley

National Wildlife Refuge

Fall 2010/Spring 2011

Hunting Map & Regulations

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

3815 American Boulevard E.

Bloomington, MN 55425-1600

952/854-5900 

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Rapids Lake Education and Visitor Center

15865 Carver Highlands Drive

Carver, MN 55315

952/361 4500

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

Minnesota state regulations and 

refuge specific regulations will be 

enforced. Refuge specific regulations 

supercede state regulations. Hunt-

ing is allowed only on refuge units 

described in this brochure. Each unit 

offers specific hunting opportunities 

during Minnesota state seasons. You 

may only hunt species listed in this 

brochure.

Furbearers and crows may not be har-

vested on the refuge at any time. 

Dove hunting is prohibited.

For authorized hunting, refuge is open 

two hours before legal shooting time to 

one hour after legal shooting time.

Some areas have been posted as No 

Hunting Zones to protect buildings, 

private property or critical habitat ar-

eas. Hunt areas may not be accessed 

through No Hunting Zones. 

Non-toxic shot must be used for all 

species. Possession of toxic shot is 

prohibited.

Single projectiles for small game are 

prohibited.

The use of rifles, pistols or air guns 

for hunting is prohibited on the refuge.

Gas or electric boat motors are 

prohibited on the refuge.

All items, including boats and stands, 

must be removed at the end of the 

day. It is unlawful to hunt from a 

permanent stand.

No motorized vehicles are allowed 

within the hunting units except at 

designated parking areas.

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.

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.

The possession of alcohol while hunting 

is prohibited.

Target shooting is prohibited.

Hunting on, across or within 50 feet 

of any road, parking lot or marked trail 

is prohibited.

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

Portions of this unit are open to the 

following:

Deer Hunting

Archery, shotgun and muzzleloader

Waterfowl Hunting

Ducks, geese and coots

Small Game Hunting

Cottontail rabbit, pheasant, gray and 

fox squirrel, ruffed grouse and 

hungarian partridge

Turkey Hunting

Fall and spring state seasons.

Louisville Swamp Unit

(North of Middle Road)

Archery deer hunting only

(South of Middle Road)

Archery deer hunting

Waterfowl Hunting

Ducks, geese and coots

Small Game Hunting

Cottontail rabbit, pheasant, gray and 

fox squirrel, ruffed grouse and 

hungarian partridge

Turkey Hunting

Fall and spring state seasons.

Contacts:

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

To report violations

Refuge Law Enforcement Officer..952-361-4508

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

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

West Metro State Conservation

Office Dispatch.................................651-582-1511

E

Wilkie Unit

Archery deer hunting allowed 

west of Eagle Creek ONLY.

Waterfowl Hunting

Ducks, geese and coots (Restricted to the Rice Lake area:

East of old Hwy 18 and Hwy 169 and 

west of Eagle Creek and south of the 

Minnesota River and north of 

Hwy 13. See brochure map for 

details)

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. 

Trapping

Various refuge units are open to quali-

fied trappers with a refuge permit.

Contact the refuge at 952-854-5900

for more information. 

For other hunting opportunities on

Waterfowl Production Areas visit our 

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

minnesotavalley/
P1

P5 P6 P7 P8

P9 P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

P1

P5 P6 P7 P8

P9 P10 P11

P1 P2 P3 P4

P5 P6 P7 P8

P9 P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

Rapids Lake Unit

DNR and Refuge land south of

Carver, mostly east of Co. Rd. 11,

west of the Minnesota River, and

downstream from the

Co. Rd. 9 bridge near Jordan.

14905 Jonathan Carver Parkway

From Hwy 212, exit onto Jonathan

Carver Parkway (Co. Rd. 11) and

proceed south 2.5 miles, continuing

left County Road 11. Proceed 3/4

mile south, lot is on the left side.

15847 Carver Highlands Drive

From the North Hunter Lot, 

continue south 1 mile on Co. Rd 11,

turn left on Carver Highlands Drive.

Proceed 1 mile east of this intersection to the lot on the left.

17000 Jonathan Carver Parkway

From the Co. Rd. 11/Carver Highlands Drive intersection, proceed 

south on Co. Rd. 11. A parking area

is 1.7 miles on the left. 

102 Carver Bluffs Parkway

From Hwy 212, exit onto Jonathan 

Carver Parkway (Co. Rd 11). Proceed south about 2 miles, making a

left turn on County Road 40. Pr0o

ceed north to Carver Bluffs Parkway

and turn right. Proceed to first stop 

sign and turn left into the park. 

 

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.

3801 145th St. W., Shakopee 

Exit HWY 169 at 145th St. W. 

approximately 4.75 miles south of

Shakopee. Parking is 1/2 mile west.

Drive past the main entrance to the

Renaissance Festival, over the next

set of railroad tracks, and bear left.

P1

P5 P6 P7 P8

P9 P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

Savage

Bloomington 

Eden 

Prairie 

Blue Lake 

Treatment Plant 

Wilkie Unit 

No Hunting

Walking Trail

Archery 

Deer Hunting Only

Waterfowl and Archery 

Deer Hunting Only 

Blue 

Lake 

Rice 

Lake 

Old HWY 18

P9 

Fisher 

Lake 

P10

Minnesota River

Valley Fair 

P8 

Wilkie Map Legend

Eagle 

Creek 

169

101 

13 

N

Renaissance

Festival

Carver

Rapids Lake Unit

Carver

Jordan

P1

P2

P7 P5

P4

P3

P11

Rapids Lake Unit

No Hunting

Louisville

Swamp Unit

Archery

Deer Hunt Only

Archery Deer, Small 

Game, Waterfowl

and Turkey Hunting

Rapids

Lake

Long

Lake Horseshoe

Lake 

Minnesota River

Rapids Lake Map Legend

Louisville Swamp 

Map Legend

Carver Rapids

Unit (DNR)

Louisville

Swamp Unit

(FWS)

Middle Road

P6

Deer, Waterfowl, Small 

Game and Turkey Hunting

11

9

169

40

11

40

N

17000 Valley View Drive, Jordan 

Exit HWY 169 7.5 miles south of

Shakopee. Travel west on 173rd

St. 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.

17401 Duck Lane, Jordan

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 

Rapids Lake and Louisville Swamp Units 

Wilkie Unit

NOTE:

Maps are 

not to scale!

Please Note:

There are several No 

Hunting Zones in the 

Rapids Lake Unit near 

housing developments, 

trails, and buildings. 

Areas are posted on site.

P1

P5 P6 P7 P8

P9 P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

P6 P7 P8

P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

P1

P5 P6 P7 P8

P9 P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

P1

P5 P6 P7 P8

P9 P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

P6 P7 P8

P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

P6 P7 P8

P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

P1

P5 P6 P7 P8

P9 P10 P11

P2 P3 P4

16210 Jordan Ave., Jordan 

Exit HWY 169 6-1/2 miles south 

of Shakopee on Bluff Drive. 

Drive west 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.

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.

7701 County Road 101 East, 

Shakopee From the HWY 169/101 

interchange, proceed west on HWY

101 1/4-mile to the first stoplight

right into the parking lot.

7701 County Road 101 East, 

Shakopee 

Waterfowl hunter access only. 

Drive through the gate at P8 

0.8 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.

11255 Bloomington Ferry Road, 

Bloomington From HWY 169

 exit onto Old Shakopee Road and

 travel east about 0.7 miles. Turn

 right (south) onto Bloomington

 Ferry Road nead the Dred Scott

 Playfields, continue for

 1/2-mile. Turn right onto

 Bloomington Ferry Circle,

 drive down the hill to the

 parking area. Walk across

 the pedestrian bridge to

 access the Wilkie 

 Unit.

Savage

Bloomington 

Eden 

Prairie 

Blue Lake 

Treatment Plant 

Wilkie Unit 

No Hunting

Walking Trail

Archery 

Deer Hunting Only

Waterfowl and Archery 

Deer Hunting Only 

Blue 

Lake 

Rice 

Lake 

Old HWY 18

P9 

Fisher 

Lake 

P10

Minnesota River

Valley Fair 

P8 

Wilkie Map Legend

Eagle 

Creek 

169

101 

13 

N

Bloomington