Deer Permit Area 109: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 109 covers 1,204 square miles of Koochiching, St. Louis and Itasca counties, around Effie. Hunters registered 415 deer here in 2025, 370 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 11% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 43.5% of DPA 109 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (316,067 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 forestOther federal landNational park landLand trusts and other open landDPA 109Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Koochiching County, St. Louis County and Itasca County |
|---|---|
| Size | 770,333 acres (1,204 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 415 (370 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,616 |
| Public land | 43.5% (335,249 acres) |
| WMAs | None mapped |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Effie, Nett Lake, Big Falls, Littlefork and Bigfork |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 109?
The DNR registered 415 deer in DPA 109 in 2025: 370 adult bucks, 27 adult does and 18 fawns, about 0.4 deer for each of the 1,182 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,616 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 390 deer, about 24 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 123 hunters, 15 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 | 415 | 370 | 27 | 18 | 0.35 | 1,616 | 390 | 123 | 15 | 63 | 4 |
| 2024 | 375 | 339 | 29 | 7 | 0.32 | 1,639 | 343 | 107 | 13 | 52 | 6 |
| 2023 | 348 | 295 | 40 | 13 | 0.29 | 1,691 | 317 | 108 | 11 | 64 | 7 |
| 2022 | 318 | 265 | 41 | 12 | 0.27 | 1,707 | 282 | 101 | 9 | 61 | 10 |
| 2021 | 398 | 323 | 59 | 16 | 0.34 | 1,960 | 348 | 129 | 20 | 66 | 8 |
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 109 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 109?
DPA 109 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50)" 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 (50) |
| 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 109?
335,249 of DPA 109's 770,333 acres are public land open to the public (43.5%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 316,067 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 109 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 316,067 | 41% |
| National forest | 18,673 | 2.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 412 | 0.1% |
| State wildlife management areas | 65 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 32 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 335,249 | 43.5% |
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.
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Koochiching State Forest (229,929 acres), Kabetogama State Forest (24,659 acres), Kabetogama Purchase Unit (18,874 acres), George Washington State Forest (14,848 acres), Pine Island State Forest (5,187 acres), Big Fork State Forest (4,556 acres) and Superior National Forest (284 acres).
How do you get to DPA 109?
Highways through it: MN 65 (about 36 miles inside), MN 6 (about 24 miles inside), US 71 (about 17 miles inside), US 53 (about 15 miles inside) and MN 1 (about 12 miles inside). Towns inside: Effie and Nett Lake. Nearby: Big Falls (on the line), Littlefork (on the line), Bigfork (6 miles) and Orr (7 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 109?
DPA 109 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 104 | 450 | 2025 | 74.7% | |
| DPA 107 | 795 | 2025 | 40.7% | |
| DPA 119 | 279 | 2025 | 51.6% | |
| DPA 169 | 927 | 2025 | 46.4% | |
| DPA 177 | 510 | 2025 | 24% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 109 in 2025?
415 deer were registered: 370 adult bucks, 27 adult does and 18 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 415, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 109?
The DNR lists DPA 109 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 109?
Yes. 335,249 acres, 43.5% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state forest and other DNR land.
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 109?
1,616 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 390 deer, 358 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 St. Louis County Itasca County DPA 104 DPA 107 DPA 119 DPA 169 DPA 177