Deer Permit Area 133: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 133 covers 354 square miles of Lake and St. Louis counties, around Rice Lake. Hunters registered 449 deer here in 2025, 398 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 26% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 12.9% of DPA 133 is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks (14,844 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 parksCounty, city and regional landDPA 133Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Lake County and St. Louis County |
|---|---|
| Size | 226,874 acres (354 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 | 449 (398 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,590 |
| Public land | 12.9% (29,215 acres) |
| WMAs | 1 (274 acres inside DPA 133) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Rice Lake, Silver Bay, Two Harbors, Hermantown, Duluth and Proctor |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 133?
The DNR registered 449 deer in DPA 133 in 2025: 398 adult bucks, 43 adult does and 8 fawns, about 1.3 deer for each of the 352 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,590 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 376 deer, about 24 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 352 hunters, 57 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 | 449 | 398 | 43 | 8 | 1.28 | 1,590 | 376 | 352 | 57 | 73 | 5 |
| 2024 | 356 | 313 | 37 | 6 | 1.01 | 1,554 | 285 | 351 | 59 | 54 | 4 |
| 2023 | 351 | 317 | 31 | 3 | 1.00 | 1,596 | 302 | 308 | 41 | 71 | 3 |
| 2022 | 382 | 322 | 49 | 11 | 1.09 | 1,832 | 315 | 334 | 55 | 83 | 7 |
| 2021 | 433 | 361 | 61 | 11 | 1.23 | 1,868 | 368 | 358 | 50 | 96 | 4 |
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 133 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 133?
DPA 133 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 133?
29,215 of DPA 133's 226,874 acres are public land open to the public (12.9%). The biggest share is state parks: 14,844 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 133 |
|---|---|---|
| State parks | 14,844 | 6.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 8,916 | 3.9% |
| State wildlife management areas | 5,426 | 2.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 29 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 29,215 | 12.9% |
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.
Wildlife Management Areas in DPA 133
DNR WMAs in DPA 133, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Little Marais WMA: 274 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Finland State Forest (1,135 acres).
How do you get to DPA 133?
Highways through it: MN 61 (about 62 miles inside) and MN 1 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Rice Lake, Silver Bay, Two Harbors, Beaver Bay and Knife River. Nearby: Hermantown (7 miles), Duluth (7 miles), Proctor (10 miles) and Scanlon (18 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 133?
DPA 133 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 126 | 117 | 2025 | 66.6% | |
| DPA 130 | 142 | 2025 | 41.9% | |
| DPA 131 | 45 | 2025 | 67.9% | |
| DPA 132 | 215 | 2025 | 27.2% | |
| DPA 181 | 964 | 2025 | 14.1% | |
| DPA 182 | 824 | 2025 | 5.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 133 in 2025?
449 deer were registered: 398 adult bucks, 43 adult does and 8 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 449, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 133?
The DNR lists DPA 133 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 133?
Yes. 29,215 acres, 12.9% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state parks. The DNR's map shows one wildlife management area here, Little Marais WMA (274 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 133?
1,590 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 376 deer, 348 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 St. Louis County DPA 126 DPA 130 DPA 131 DPA 132 DPA 181 DPA 182