Deer Permit Area 171: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 171 covers 769 square miles of Aitkin, Cass and Crow Wing counties, around Hill City. Hunters registered 1,165 deer here in 2025, 959 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 9% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 38.5% of DPA 171 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (157,539 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 forestNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landState parksDPA 171Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Aitkin County, Cass County and Crow Wing County |
|---|---|
| Size | 492,356 acres (769 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (500) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,165 (959 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 4,959 |
| Public land | 38.5% (189,677 acres) |
| WMAs | 16 (26,991 acres inside DPA 171) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Hill City, Palisade, Remer, Emily and McGregor |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 171?
The DNR registered 1,165 deer in DPA 171 in 2025: 959 adult bucks, 165 adult does and 41 fawns, about 1.6 deer for each of the 740 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 4,959 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,003 deer, about 20 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 670 hunters, 99 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 | 1,165 | 959 | 165 | 41 | 1.57 | 4,959 | 1,003 | 670 | 99 | 143 | 11 |
| 2024 | 1,068 | 880 | 138 | 50 | 1.44 | 5,091 | 953 | 622 | 67 | 189 | 7 |
| 2023 | 819 | 664 | 110 | 45 | 1.11 | 5,164 | 726 | 659 | 52 | 185 | 6 |
| 2022 | 980 | 632 | 253 | 95 | 1.32 | 5,336 | 879 | 600 | 46 | 206 | 15 |
| 2021 | 1,132 | 746 | 277 | 109 | 1.53 | 5,588 | 1,028 | 667 | 52 | 255 | 15 |
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 171 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 171?
DPA 171 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (500)" 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 (500) |
| 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 171?
189,677 of DPA 171's 492,356 acres are public land open to the public (38.5%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 157,539 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 171 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 157,539 | 32% |
| State wildlife management areas | 27,109 | 5.5% |
| National forest | 4,951 | 1% |
| Other federal land | 78 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 189,677 | 38.5% |
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 171
DNR WMAs in DPA 171, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Moose Willow WMA: 16,957 acres
- Little Willow River WMA: 1,861 acres
- Willowsippi WMA: 1,693 acres
- Birchdale WMA: 1,426 acres
- Duck Lake WMA: 1,042 acres
- Gun Lake WMA: 830 acres
- Roberts-Wickstrom WMA: 786 acres
- Deer Run WMA: 699 acres
- French Lake WMA: 537 acres
- Wold WMA: 425 acres
- Hay Point WMA: 350 acres
- Mcgregor WMA: 235 acres
- Kimberly Marsh WMA: 81 acres
- Big Rice WMA: 53 acres
- Sandy Lake Resevoir WMA: 11 acres
- Hill Lake WMA: 5 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Hill River State Forest (73,693 acres), Savanna State Forest (30,327 acres), Land O'Lakes State Forest (25,430 acres), Waukenabo State Forest (22,360 acres) and Chippewa National Forest (4,963 acres).
How do you get to DPA 171?
Highways through it: US 169 (about 27 miles inside), MN 200 (about 18 miles inside), MN 6 (about 17 miles inside), MN 232 (about 10 miles inside) and MN 65 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Hill City and Palisade. Nearby: Remer (on the line), Emily (on the line), McGregor (on the line) and Aitkin (5 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 171?
DPA 171 touches 5 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 155 | 1,134 | 2025 | 21.5% | |
| DPA 172 | 1,687 | 2025 | 29.8% | |
| DPA 173 | 528 | 2025 | 38% | |
| DPA 604 | 3,509 | 2025 | 4.1% | |
| DPA 679 | 2,146 | 2025 | 20.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 171 in 2025?
1,165 deer were registered: 959 adult bucks, 165 adult does and 41 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,165, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 171?
The DNR lists DPA 171 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (500)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 171?
Yes. 189,677 acres, 38.5% 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 16 wildlife management areas here, the largest Moose Willow WMA (16,957 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 171?
4,959 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,003 deer, 874 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 Cass County Crow Wing County DPA 155 DPA 172 DPA 173 DPA 604 DPA 679