Deer Permit Area 105: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 105 covers 1,395 square miles of Lake of the Woods, Roseau and Koochiching counties, around Baudette. Hunters registered 2,485 deer here in 2025, 1,387 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 15% from 2024. 26.1% of DPA 105 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (182,917 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 wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landState parksLand trusts and other open landDPA 105Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Lake of the Woods County, Roseau County and Koochiching County |
|---|---|
| Size | 892,954 acres (1,395 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 2,485 (1,387 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 5,498 |
| Public land | 26.1% (233,430 acres) |
| WMAs | 18 (33,816 acres inside DPA 105) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Baudette, Warroad, Roseau, Badger, Littlefork and International Falls |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 105?
The DNR registered 2,485 deer in DPA 105 in 2025: 1,387 adult bucks, 842 adult does and 256 fawns, about 2.1 deer for each of the 1,199 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 5,498 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 2,170 deer, about 39 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 736 hunters, 121 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 | 2,485 | 1,387 | 842 | 256 | 2.07 | 5,498 | 2,170 | 736 | 121 | 395 | 64 |
| 2024 | 2,165 | 1,255 | 695 | 215 | 1.81 | 5,776 | 1,891 | 826 | 98 | 417 | 62 |
| 2023 | 2,545 | 1,230 | 1,027 | 288 | 2.12 | 5,480 | 2,205 | 787 | 135 | 460 | 85 |
| 2022 | 2,388 | 1,203 | 957 | 228 | 1.99 | 5,409 | 2,043 | 669 | 118 | 416 | 77 |
| 2021 | 2,927 | 1,436 | 1,076 | 415 | 2.44 | 5,534 | 2,501 | 704 | 131 | 483 | 86 |
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 105 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 105?
DPA 105 is a "Two-deer limit" 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 | Two-deer limit |
| 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). Special regulations for WMAs in this permit area. Details are on the DNR's WMA rules page. Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 105?
233,430 of DPA 105's 892,954 acres are public land open to the public (26.1%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 182,917 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 105 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 182,917 | 20.5% |
| State wildlife management areas | 33,969 | 3.8% |
| Other federal land | 8,532 | 1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 3,987 | 0.4% |
| State parks | 2,807 | 0.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 920 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 298 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 233,430 | 26.1% |
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 105
DNR WMAs in DPA 105, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Carp Swamp WMA: 15,266 acres
- Graceton WMA: 10,713 acres
- Prosper WMA: 1,942 acres
- South Shore WMA: 1,572 acres
- Cedar Bend WMA: 1,473 acres
- Border WMA: 506 acres
- Rocky Point WMA: 466 acres
- Silver Creek WMA: 460 acres
- Spooner WMA: 359 acres
- Lessard Anderson WMA: 294 acres
- Bear Creek WMA: 285 acres
- Four Mile Bay WMA: 89 acres
- R.C. #3 WMA: 81 acres
- Clear River WMA: 80 acres
- Enstrom WMA: 79 acres
- Larry Bernhoft WMA: 75 acres
- East Branch WMA: 39 acres
- Rosver WMA: 37 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Pine Island State Forest (85,985 acres), Lost River State Forest (43,520 acres), Lake of the Woods State Forest (40,035 acres), North Black River Peatland (8,539 acres) and Beltrami Wildlife Management Area (3,987 acres).
How do you get to DPA 105?
Highways through it: MN 11 (about 101 miles inside), MN 313 (about 6 miles inside), MN 310 (about 5 miles inside) and MN 89 (about 2 miles inside). Towns inside: Baudette, Warroad, Roseau, Roosevelt and Williams. Nearby: Badger (12 miles), Littlefork (12 miles), International Falls (18 miles) and Big Falls (19 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 105?
DPA 105 touches 5 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 101 | 759 | 2025 | 29.6% | |
| DPA 104 | 450 | 2025 | 74.7% | |
| DPA 111 | 412 | 2025 | 59.7% | |
| DPA 114 | 30 | 2025 | 7% | |
| DPA 267 | 772 | 2025 | 6.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 105 in 2025?
2,485 deer were registered: 1,387 adult bucks, 842 adult does and 256 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 2,927, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 105?
The DNR lists DPA 105 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 105?
Yes. 233,430 acres, 26.1% 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 18 wildlife management areas here, the largest Carp Swamp WMA (15,266 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 105?
5,498 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 2,170 deer, 1,249 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 Lake of the Woods County Roseau County Koochiching County DPA 101 DPA 104 DPA 111 DPA 114 DPA 267