Deer Permit Area 172: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 172 covers 773 square miles of Cass, Crow Wing and Itasca counties, around Emily. Hunters registered 1,687 deer here in 2025, 1,332 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 10% from 2024. 29.8% of DPA 172 is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (98,492 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 forestOther federal landState parksDPA 172Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Cass County, Crow Wing County and Itasca County |
|---|---|
| Size | 494,638 acres (773 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 | 1,687 (1,332 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 7,289 |
| Public land | 29.8% (147,262 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (10,040 acres inside DPA 172) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Emily, Fifty Lakes, Chickamaw Beach, Pine River, Manhattan Beach and Backus |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 172?
The DNR registered 1,687 deer in DPA 172 in 2025: 1,332 adult bucks, 278 adult does and 77 fawns, about 2.5 deer for each of the 688 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 7,289 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,389 deer, about 19 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,061 hunters, 168 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 | 1,687 | 1,332 | 278 | 77 | 2.45 | 7,289 | 1,389 | 1,061 | 168 | 214 | 28 |
| 2024 | 1,536 | 1,247 | 206 | 83 | 2.23 | 7,547 | 1,294 | 1,082 | 159 | 249 | 22 |
| 2023 | 1,258 | 954 | 227 | 77 | 1.83 | 7,756 | 1,103 | 1,088 | 97 | 288 | 8 |
| 2022 | 1,772 | 1,103 | 507 | 162 | 2.58 | 8,315 | 1,519 | 1,061 | 125 | 327 | 45 |
| 2021 | 2,018 | 1,324 | 509 | 185 | 2.93 | 8,530 | 1,771 | 1,138 | 133 | 358 | 31 |
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 172 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 172?
DPA 172 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 172?
147,262 of DPA 172's 494,638 acres are public land open to the public (29.8%). The biggest share is national forest: 98,492 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 172 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 98,492 | 19.9% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 38,098 | 7.7% |
| State wildlife management areas | 10,668 | 2.2% |
| Other federal land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 147,262 | 29.8% |
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 172
DNR WMAs in DPA 172, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mud Goose WMA: 8,731 acres
- Daggett Brook WMA: 632 acres
- Mule Lake WMA: 351 acres
- George Cook WMA: 151 acres
- Woman Lake WMA: 108 acres
- Laura Lake WMA: 67 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Chippewa National Forest (100,800 acres), Battleground State Forest (8,647 acres), Land O'Lakes State Forest (3,964 acres) and Remer State Forest (603 acres).
How do you get to DPA 172?
Highways through it: MN 371 (about 14 miles inside), MN 6 (about 12 miles inside) and MN 87 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Emily, Fifty Lakes, Chickamaw Beach, Federal Dam, Remer and Hackensack. Nearby: Pine River (on the line), Manhattan Beach (on the line), Backus (on the line) and Zemple (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 172?
DPA 172 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 171 | 1,165 | 2025 | 38.5% | |
| DPA 197 | 1,098 | 2025 | 48.5% | |
| DPA 246 | 3,143 | 2025 | 13.1% | |
| DPA 259 | 1,643 | 2025 | 24% | |
| DPA 604 | 3,509 | 2025 | 4.1% | |
| DPA 679 | 2,146 | 2025 | 20.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 172 in 2025?
1,687 deer were registered: 1,332 adult bucks, 278 adult does and 77 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 2,018, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 172?
The DNR lists DPA 172 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 172?
Yes. 147,262 acres, 29.8% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national forest. The DNR's map shows 6 wildlife management areas here, the largest Mud Goose WMA (8,731 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 172?
7,289 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,389 deer, 1,180 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 Cass County Crow Wing County Itasca County DPA 171 DPA 197 DPA 246 DPA 259 DPA 604 DPA 679