Deer Permit Area 156: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 156 covers 829 square miles of Carlton, Aitkin and Pine counties, around Sturgeon Lake. Hunters registered 1,900 deer here in 2025, 1,581 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 19% from 2024. 17.7% of DPA 156 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (86,511 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 areasState parksCounty, city and regional landDPA 156Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Carlton County, Aitkin County and Pine County |
|---|---|
| Size | 530,557 acres (829 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (1000) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,900 (1,581 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 7,114 |
| Public land | 17.7% (93,841 acres) |
| WMAs | 11 (6,594 acres inside DPA 156) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Sturgeon Lake, Moose Lake, Rutledge, Cromwell, McGrath and Wright |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 156?
The DNR registered 1,900 deer in DPA 156 in 2025: 1,581 adult bucks, 247 adult does and 72 fawns, about 2.3 deer for each of the 825 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 7,114 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,631 deer, about 23 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 996 hunters, 147 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 | 1,900 | 1,581 | 247 | 72 | 2.30 | 7,114 | 1,631 | 996 | 147 | 185 | 13 |
| 2024 | 1,594 | 1,327 | 207 | 60 | 1.93 | 7,033 | 1,374 | 962 | 118 | 226 | 15 |
| 2023 | 1,299 | 1,066 | 196 | 37 | 1.57 | 7,135 | 1,131 | 1,016 | 98 | 248 | 10 |
| 2022 | 2,106 | 1,117 | 734 | 255 | 2.55 | 7,767 | 1,902 | 986 | 95 | 302 | 38 |
| 2021 | 2,338 | 1,365 | 741 | 232 | 2.83 | 8,046 | 2,131 | 1,097 | 111 | 332 | 23 |
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 156 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 156?
DPA 156 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (1000)" 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 (1000) |
| 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 156?
93,841 of DPA 156's 530,557 acres are public land open to the public (17.7%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 86,511 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 156 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 86,511 | 16.3% |
| State wildlife management areas | 6,814 | 1.3% |
| State parks | 491 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 23 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 93,841 | 17.7% |
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 156
DNR WMAs in DPA 156, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Salo Marsh WMA: 2,036 acres
- Kettle Lake WMA: 1,313 acres
- Firebird WMA: 728 acres
- Pliny WMA: 704 acres
- Sawyer WMA: 600 acres
- Bremen WMA: 447 acres
- Mervin WMA: 242 acres
- Lawler WMA: 235 acres
- Sturgeon Lake WMA: 160 acres
- Mark Lake WMA: 82 acres
- Moose Lake WMA: 47 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Solana State Forest (46,782 acres), Fond Du Lac State Forest (13,940 acres), Savanna State Forest (4,398 acres) and General C.C. Andrews State Forest (2,128 acres).
How do you get to DPA 156?
Highways through it: MN 27 (about 38 miles inside), MN 73 (about 25 miles inside), I-35 (about 21 miles inside), MN 65 (about 21 miles inside) and MN 210 (about 17 miles inside). Towns inside: Sturgeon Lake, Moose Lake, Rutledge, Finlayson, Willow River and Denham. Nearby: Cromwell (on the line), McGrath (on the line), Wright (on the line) and McGregor (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 156?
DPA 156 touches 8 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 153 | 1,144 | 2025 | 8.7% | |
| DPA 155 | 1,134 | 2025 | 21.5% | |
| DPA 157 | 4,606 | 2025 | 6.8% | |
| DPA 159 | 1,863 | 2025 | 8% | |
| DPA 173 | 528 | 2025 | 38% | |
| DPA 181 | 964 | 2025 | 14.1% | |
| DPA 182 | 824 | 2025 | 5.2% | |
| DPA 199 | 110 | 2025 | 6.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 156 in 2025?
1,900 deer were registered: 1,581 adult bucks, 247 adult does and 72 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 2,338, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 156?
The DNR lists DPA 156 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (1000)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 156?
Yes. 93,841 acres, 17.7% 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 11 wildlife management areas here, the largest Salo Marsh WMA (2,036 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 156?
7,114 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,631 deer, 1,446 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 Carlton County Aitkin County Pine County DPA 155 DPA 157 DPA 159 DPA 173 DPA 181 DPA 182 DPA 199