Deer Permit Area 157: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 157 covers 903 square miles of Kanabec, Pine and Mille Lacs counties, around Mora. Hunters registered 4,606 deer here in 2025, 2,950 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 8% from 2024. 6.8% of DPA 157 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (30,824 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 landState parksNational park landCounty, city and regional landDPA 157Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Kanabec County, Pine County, Mille Lacs County and Aitkin County |
|---|---|
| Size | 577,639 acres (903 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 4,606 (2,950 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 12,305 |
| Public land | 6.8% (39,403 acres) |
| WMAs | 16 (7,402 acres inside DPA 157) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Mora, Isle, Brook Park, Bock, Onamia and Pine City |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 157?
The DNR registered 4,606 deer in DPA 157 in 2025: 2,950 adult bucks, 1,165 adult does and 491 fawns, about 5.2 deer for each of the 888 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 12,305 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 3,976 deer, about 32 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 2,166 hunters, 359 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 | 4,606 | 2,950 | 1,165 | 491 | 5.19 | 12,305 | 3,976 | 2,166 | 359 | 528 | 95 |
| 2024 | 4,255 | 2,678 | 1,095 | 482 | 4.79 | 12,117 | 3,756 | 2,172 | 296 | 540 | 73 |
| 2023 | 3,716 | 2,309 | 1,028 | 379 | 4.18 | 11,826 | 3,321 | 2,197 | 222 | 633 | 61 |
| 2022 | 4,878 | 2,462 | 1,623 | 793 | 5.49 | 12,047 | 4,230 | 2,190 | 369 | 720 | 131 |
| 2021 | 4,406 | 2,707 | 1,207 | 492 | 4.96 | 12,245 | 3,914 | 2,135 | 246 | 617 | 80 |
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 157 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 157?
DPA 157 is a "Two-deer limit" 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 | Two-deer limit |
| 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 157?
39,403 of DPA 157's 577,639 acres are public land open to the public (6.8%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 30,824 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 157 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 30,824 | 5.3% |
| State wildlife management areas | 8,280 | 1.4% |
| State parks | 280 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 19 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 39,403 | 6.8% |
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 157
DNR WMAs in DPA 157, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Ann Lake WMA: 1,876 acres
- Kroschel WMA: 1,538 acres
- Pomroy Pastures WMA: 991 acres
- Conservation Officer Eugene H. Wynn Jr. Memorial WMA: 694 acres
- Erickson-Lidstrom Family WMA: 384 acres
- Pine County V&S 3 WMA: 296 acres
- Pine County V&S 4 WMA: 285 acres
- Lake Five WMA: 276 acres
- Bean Dam WMA: 247 acres
- Hay Snake WMA: 237 acres
- Whited WMA: 170 acres
- Groundhouse WMA: 162 acres
- Kraft WMA: 94 acres
- Pine County V&S 2 WMA: 81 acres
- Pine City WMA: 56 acres
- Mille Lacs WMA: 15 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Rum River State Forest (14,068 acres) and Snake River State Forest (7,877 acres).
How do you get to DPA 157?
Highways through it: US 169 (about 35 miles inside), MN 27 (about 31 miles inside), MN 23 (about 29 miles inside), MN 65 (about 29 miles inside) and MN 47 (about 27 miles inside). Towns inside: Mora, Isle, Brook Park, Wahkon, Grasston and Ogilvie. Nearby: Bock (on the line), Onamia (on the line), Pine City (on the line) and Finlayson (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 157?
DPA 157 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 152 | 153 | 2025 | 99.3% | |
| DPA 153 | 1,144 | 2025 | 8.7% | |
| DPA 155 | 1,134 | 2025 | 21.5% | |
| DPA 156 | 1,900 | 2025 | 17.7% | |
| DPA 159 | 1,863 | 2025 | 8% | |
| DPA 222 | 3,420 | 2025 | 3.6% | |
| DPA 225 | 5,598 | 2025 | 4.2% | |
| DPA 249 | 3,126 | 2025 | 4.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 157 in 2025?
4,606 deer were registered: 2,950 adult bucks, 1,165 adult does and 491 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 4,878, in 2022.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 157?
The DNR lists DPA 157 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 157?
Yes. 39,403 acres, 6.8% 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 16 wildlife management areas here, the largest Ann Lake WMA (1,876 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 157?
12,305 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 3,976 deer, 2,610 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 Kanabec County Pine County Mille Lacs County Aitkin County DPA 152 DPA 155 DPA 156 DPA 159 DPA 222 DPA 225 DPA 249