Deer Permit Area 104: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 104 covers 1,416 square miles of Koochiching, Beltrami and Lake of the Woods counties, around Big Falls. Hunters registered 450 deer here in 2025, 399 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 1% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 74.7% of DPA 104 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (652,119 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025. Seasons: the DNR's 2026 deer permit area map. Land: PAD-US 4.1, DNR WMA and Walk-In Access layers.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landNational forestNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landDPA 104Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Koochiching County, Beltrami County and Lake of the Woods County |
|---|---|
| Size | 906,524 acres (1,416 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 450 (399 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,554 |
| Public land | 74.7% (677,370 acres) |
| WMAs | 2 (24,928 acres inside DPA 104) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Big Falls, Kelliher, Mizpah, Northome and Effie |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 104?
The DNR registered 450 deer in DPA 104 in 2025: 399 adult bucks, 40 adult does and 11 fawns, about 0.3 deer for each of the 1,414 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,554 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 419 deer, about 27 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 108 hunters, 11 deer.
| Year | Deer registered | Adult bucks | Adult does | Fawns | Deer per square mile | Firearms hunters | Firearms harvest | Archery hunters | Archery harvest | Muzzleloader hunters | Muzzleloader harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 450 | 399 | 40 | 11 | 0.32 | 1,554 | 419 | 108 | 11 | 68 | 5 |
| 2024 | 445 | 413 | 25 | 7 | 0.31 | 1,508 | 416 | 122 | 13 | 60 | 9 |
| 2023 | 354 | 323 | 23 | 8 | 0.25 | 1,489 | 324 | 87 | 7 | 64 | 8 |
| 2022 | 389 | 330 | 53 | 6 | 0.28 | 1,584 | 357 | 119 | 10 | 53 | 6 |
| 2021 | 439 | 371 | 55 | 13 | 0.31 | 1,729 | 396 | 94 | 13 | 67 | 9 |
Source: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021: Table 3 (all deer, special hunts left out), Tables 4 to 6 (archery, firearms A season, muzzleloader). Deer per square mile is the DNR's total divided by the DNR's land area for the permit area. A blank means the DNR printed no row for DPA 104 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 104?
DPA 104 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25)" area for 2026. It is in the 100 series, which sets its firearms dates. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
| Season | 2026 dates or rule |
|---|---|
| Bag limit designation | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25) |
| Archery | Sept. 19 to Dec. 31, 2026 |
| Firearm A season | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Muzzleloader | Nov. 28 to Dec. 13, 2026 |
| Youth season | Oct. 15 to Oct. 18, 2026 |
| CWD testing | Optional CWD testing available |
Source: Minnesota DNR deer permit areas, 2026 seasons (July 2026 - June 2027). Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 104?
677,370 of DPA 104's 906,524 acres are public land open to the public (74.7%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 652,119 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 104 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 652,119 | 71.9% |
| State wildlife management areas | 24,929 | 2.7% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 162 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 81 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 79 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 677,370 | 74.7% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the DNR's boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Hunting rules differ by manager: state wildlife management areas, state forest land and national forests are open to hunting in season; refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks allow hunting only in special hunts; national park land is closed to hunting; city and county parks set their own rules. PAD-US 4.1 leaves out most of the tax-forfeited land Minnesota counties manage, much of it open to hunting, so the public land here may be more than shown; the county land department has the maps.
Wildlife Management Areas in DPA 104
DNR WMAs in DPA 104, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Red Lake WMA: 24,863 acres
- Waldbillig WMA: 65 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Pine Island State Forest (529,065 acres), Lake of the Woods State Forest (33,108 acres), Red Lake State Forest (24,245 acres), Koochiching State Forest (18,063 acres) and Beltrami Wildlife Management Area (163 acres).
How do you get to DPA 104?
Highways through it: US 71 (about 26 miles inside), MN 72 (about 12 miles inside), MN 1 (about 8 miles inside), MN 6 (about 4 miles inside) and MN 11 (about 3 miles inside). Towns inside: Big Falls and Kelliher. Nearby: Mizpah (on the line), Northome (4 miles), Effie (7 miles) and Littlefork (9 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 104?
DPA 104 touches 6 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 105 | 2,485 | 2025 | 26.1% | |
| DPA 107 | 795 | 2025 | 40.7% | |
| DPA 109 | 415 | 2025 | 43.5% | |
| DPA 110 | 1,210 | 2025 | 23.8% | |
| DPA 111 | 412 | 2025 | 59.7% | |
| DPA 169 | 927 | 2025 | 46.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 104 in 2025?
450 deer were registered: 399 adult bucks, 40 adult does and 11 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 450, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 104?
The DNR lists DPA 104 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 104?
Yes. 677,370 acres, 74.7% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state forest and other DNR land. The DNR's map shows 2 wildlife management areas here, the largest Red Lake WMA (24,863 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 104?
1,554 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 419 deer, 385 of them adult bucks.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
- Seasons: Minnesota DNR deer permit areas, 2026 seasons; DNR season calendar.
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Wildlife Management Areas: Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible. Walk-In Access: Minnesota DNR Walk-In Access sites.
- Boundaries: Minnesota DNR deer permit areas, 2026 seasons. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Minnesota hunting Koochiching County Beltrami County Lake of the Woods County DPA 105 DPA 107 DPA 109 DPA 110 DPA 111 DPA 169