Deer Permit Area 131: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 131 covers 929 square miles of Lake and Cook counties, around Finland. Hunters registered 45 deer here in 2025, 43 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is down 2% from 2024. 67.9% of DPA 131 is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (311,319 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 forestState parksDPA 131Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Lake County and Cook County |
|---|---|
| Size | 594,449 acres (929 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: bucks only |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 45 (43 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 369 |
| Public land | 67.9% (403,474 acres) |
| WMAs | None mapped |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Finland, Beaver Bay, Silver Bay and Two Harbors |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 131?
The DNR registered 45 deer in DPA 131 in 2025: 43 adult bucks, 2 adult does and 0 fawns, about 0.05 deer for each of the 899 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 369 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 34 deer, about 9 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 47 hunters, 7 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 | 45 | 43 | 2 | 0 | 0.05 | 369 | 34 | 47 | 7 | 12 | 3 |
| 2024 | 46 | 43 | 2 | 1 | 0.05 | 395 | 40 | 41 | 2 | 18 | 1 |
| 2023 | 19 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0.02 | 447 | 17 | 64 | 2 | 17 | 0 |
| 2022 | 35 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0.04 | 616 | 32 | 56 | 1 | 28 | 2 |
| 2021 | 67 | 55 | 8 | 4 | 0.07 | 740 | 56 | 77 | 7 | 28 | 2 |
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 131 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 131?
DPA 131 is a "One-deer limit: bucks only" 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: bucks only |
| 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 131?
403,474 of DPA 131's 594,449 acres are public land open to the public (67.9%). The biggest share is national forest: 311,319 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 131 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 311,319 | 52.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 86,950 | 14.6% |
| State wildlife management areas | 5,205 | 0.9% |
| All public land open to the public | 403,474 | 67.9% |
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: Superior National Forest (313,067 acres), Finland State Forest (72,532 acres) and Pat Bayle State Forest (192 acres).
How do you get to DPA 131?
Highways through it: MN 1 (about 37 miles inside). Towns inside: Finland. Nearby: Beaver Bay (on the line), Silver Bay (2 miles), Two Harbors (8 miles) and Babbitt (13 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 131?
DPA 131 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 117 | 14 | 2025 | 83.1% | |
| DPA 118 | 408 | 2025 | 67.5% | |
| DPA 126 | 117 | 2025 | 66.6% | |
| DPA 130 | 142 | 2025 | 41.9% | |
| DPA 133 | 449 | 2025 | 12.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 131 in 2025?
45 deer were registered: 43 adult bucks, 2 adult does and 0 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 67, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 131?
The DNR lists DPA 131 as "One-deer limit: bucks only" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 131?
Yes. 403,474 acres, 67.9% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national forest.
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 131?
369 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 34 deer, 33 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 County Cook County DPA 117 DPA 118 DPA 126 DPA 130 DPA 133