Deer Permit Area 169: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 169 covers 997 square miles of Itasca, Beltrami and Koochiching counties, around Bigfork. Hunters registered 927 deer here in 2025, 907 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 17% from 2024. 46.4% of DPA 169 is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (154,816 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 169Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Itasca County, Beltrami County and Koochiching County |
|---|---|
| Size | 637,802 acres (997 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 927 (907 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 4,124 |
| Public land | 46.4% (295,937 acres) |
| WMAs | 2 (6,365 acres inside DPA 169) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Bigfork, Effie, Northome and Mizpah |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 169?
The DNR registered 927 deer in DPA 169 in 2025: 907 adult bucks, 16 adult does and 4 fawns, about 1.0 deer for each of the 940 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 4,124 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 870 deer, about 21 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 372 hunters, 35 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 | 927 | 907 | 16 | 4 | 0.99 | 4,124 | 870 | 372 | 35 | 105 | 9 |
| 2024 | 794 | 765 | 25 | 4 | 0.84 | 4,438 | 743 | 442 | 26 | 134 | 5 |
| 2023 | 782 | 653 | 96 | 33 | 0.83 | 5,085 | 691 | 526 | 50 | 176 | 8 |
| 2022 | 919 | 702 | 178 | 39 | 0.98 | 5,597 | 818 | 490 | 46 | 153 | 14 |
| 2021 | 1,173 | 934 | 175 | 64 | 1.25 | 6,109 | 1,042 | 580 | 60 | 221 | 13 |
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 169 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 169?
DPA 169 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25)" 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 (25) |
| 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 169?
295,937 of DPA 169's 637,802 acres are public land open to the public (46.4%). The biggest share is national forest: 154,816 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 169 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 154,816 | 24.3% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 132,137 | 20.7% |
| State wildlife management areas | 6,587 | 1% |
| State parks | 2,355 | 0.4% |
| Other federal land | 42 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 295,937 | 46.4% |
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 169
DNR WMAs in DPA 169, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Morph Meadows WMA: 4,807 acres
- Dishpan WMA: 1,558 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Chippewa National Forest (156,178 acres), George Washington State Forest (59,954 acres), Big Fork State Forest (40,657 acres), Pine Island State Forest (7,157 acres), Buena Vista State Forest (1,183 acres) and Bowstring State Forest (814 acres).
How do you get to DPA 169?
Highways through it: MN 1 (about 31 miles inside), MN 6 (about 18 miles inside), MN 46 (about 10 miles inside) and MN 65 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Bigfork. Nearby: Effie (on the line), Northome (on the line), Mizpah (3 miles) and Blackduck (3 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 169?
DPA 169 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 104 | 450 | 2025 | 74.7% | |
| DPA 109 | 415 | 2025 | 43.5% | |
| DPA 110 | 1,210 | 2025 | 23.8% | |
| DPA 176 | 599 | 2025 | 30.6% | |
| DPA 177 | 510 | 2025 | 24% | |
| DPA 197 | 1,098 | 2025 | 48.5% | |
| DPA 679 | 2,146 | 2025 | 20.3% | |
| DPA 684 | 3,267 | 2025 | 9.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 169 in 2025?
927 deer were registered: 907 adult bucks, 16 adult does and 4 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,173, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 169?
The DNR lists DPA 169 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 169?
Yes. 295,937 acres, 46.4% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national forest. The DNR's map shows 2 wildlife management areas here, the largest Morph Meadows WMA (4,807 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 169?
4,124 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 870 deer, 855 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 Itasca County Beltrami County Koochiching County DPA 104 DPA 109 DPA 110 DPA 176 DPA 177 DPA 197 DPA 679 DPA 684