Deer Permit Area 155: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 155 covers 529 square miles of Aitkin, Crow Wing and Mille Lacs counties, around Garrison. Hunters registered 1,134 deer here in 2025, 908 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 21% from 2024. 21.5% of DPA 155 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (32,448 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 areasDPA 155Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Aitkin County, Crow Wing County and Mille Lacs County |
|---|---|
| Size | 338,493 acres (529 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (750) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,134 (908 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 4,321 |
| Public land | 21.5% (72,830 acres) |
| WMAs | 9 (22,005 acres inside DPA 155) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Garrison, McGrath, McGregor, Aitkin and Deerwood |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 155?
The DNR registered 1,134 deer in DPA 155 in 2025: 908 adult bucks, 164 adult does and 62 fawns, about 2.3 deer for each of the 499 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 4,321 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 964 deer, about 22 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 728 hunters, 114 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 | 1,134 | 908 | 164 | 62 | 2.27 | 4,321 | 964 | 728 | 114 | 134 | 10 |
| 2024 | 937 | 745 | 138 | 54 | 1.88 | 4,379 | 816 | 715 | 79 | 181 | 9 |
| 2023 | 781 | 624 | 125 | 32 | 1.57 | 4,361 | 684 | 709 | 61 | 172 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1,292 | 737 | 431 | 124 | 2.59 | 4,763 | 1,176 | 676 | 59 | 221 | 13 |
| 2021 | 1,375 | 741 | 456 | 178 | 2.76 | 4,918 | 1,225 | 767 | 63 | 243 | 26 |
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 155 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 155?
DPA 155 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (750)" 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 (750) |
| 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 155?
72,830 of DPA 155's 338,493 acres are public land open to the public (21.5%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 32,448 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 155 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 32,448 | 9.6% |
| State wildlife management areas | 22,270 | 6.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 18,112 | 5.4% |
| All public land open to the public | 72,830 | 21.5% |
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.
Wildlife Management Areas in DPA 155
DNR WMAs in DPA 155, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Kimberly Marsh WMA: 10,483 acres
- Ripple River WMA: 5,230 acres
- Aitkin WMA: 3,415 acres
- Round-Rice Bed WMA: 940 acres
- Newstrom Lake WMA: 796 acres
- Woross WMA: 620 acres
- Rabbit Lake WMA: 390 acres
- Jewett WMA: 103 acres
- Swamp Lake WMA: 28 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge (18,075 acres), Solana State Forest (10,741 acres), Wealthwood State Forest (5,098 acres), Waukenabo State Forest (405 acres) and Savanna State Forest (122 acres).
How do you get to DPA 155?
Highways through it: MN 18 (about 38 miles inside), MN 47 (about 29 miles inside), US 169 (about 22 miles inside), MN 210 (about 17 miles inside) and MN 65 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Garrison and McGrath. Nearby: McGregor (on the line), Aitkin (on the line), Deerwood (4 miles) and Isle (5 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 155?
DPA 155 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 156 | 1,900 | 2025 | 17.7% | |
| DPA 157 | 4,606 | 2025 | 6.8% | |
| DPA 171 | 1,165 | 2025 | 38.5% | |
| DPA 173 | 528 | 2025 | 38% | |
| DPA 249 | 3,126 | 2025 | 4.9% | |
| DPA 604 | 3,509 | 2025 | 4.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 155 in 2025?
1,134 deer were registered: 908 adult bucks, 164 adult does and 62 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,375, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 155?
The DNR lists DPA 155 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (750)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 155?
Yes. 72,830 acres, 21.5% 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 9 wildlife management areas here, the largest Kimberly Marsh WMA (10,483 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 155?
4,321 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 964 deer, 822 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 Aitkin County Crow Wing County Mille Lacs County DPA 156 DPA 157 DPA 171 DPA 173 DPA 249 DPA 604