Deer Permit Area 173: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 173 covers 496 square miles of Aitkin, St. Louis and Carlton counties, around Tamarack. Hunters registered 528 deer here in 2025, 442 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 17% from 2024. 38% of DPA 173 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (93,653 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 areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landDPA 173Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Aitkin County, St. Louis County, Carlton County and Itasca County |
|---|---|
| Size | 317,666 acres (496 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 528 (442 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,432 |
| Public land | 38% (120,743 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (11,807 acres inside DPA 173) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Tamarack, McGregor, Wright, Floodwood, Cromwell and Warba |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 173?
The DNR registered 528 deer in DPA 173 in 2025: 442 adult bucks, 68 adult does and 18 fawns, about 1.1 deer for each of the 471 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,432 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 453 deer, about 19 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 296 hunters, 36 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 | 528 | 442 | 68 | 18 | 1.12 | 2,432 | 453 | 296 | 36 | 54 | 4 |
| 2024 | 452 | 380 | 61 | 11 | 0.96 | 2,498 | 400 | 296 | 27 | 64 | 0 |
| 2023 | 413 | 315 | 83 | 15 | 0.88 | 2,638 | 372 | 321 | 28 | 58 | 1 |
| 2022 | 535 | 345 | 147 | 43 | 1.14 | 2,817 | 475 | 287 | 29 | 79 | 6 |
| 2021 | 525 | 343 | 137 | 45 | 1.11 | 3,089 | 472 | 396 | 29 | 104 | 6 |
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 173 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 173?
DPA 173 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50)" 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 (50) |
| 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 173?
120,743 of DPA 173's 317,666 acres are public land open to the public (38%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 93,653 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 173 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 93,653 | 29.5% |
| State parks | 15,181 | 4.8% |
| State wildlife management areas | 11,907 | 3.7% |
| National forest | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 120,743 | 38% |
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 173
DNR WMAs in DPA 173, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Grayling Marsh WMA: 9,960 acres
- Ricehaven WMA: 656 acres
- Swan River Deer Yard WMA: 545 acres
- Mcgregor WMA: 416 acres
- Floodwood WMA: 217 acres
- Sandy Lake Resevoir WMA: 13 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Savanna State Forest (87,079 acres).
How do you get to DPA 173?
Highways through it: MN 65 (about 27 miles inside), MN 210 (about 10 miles inside), MN 200 (about 10 miles inside), MN 73 (about 8 miles inside) and US 2 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Tamarack, McGregor and Wright. Nearby: Floodwood (on the line), Cromwell (on the line), Warba (5 miles) and Palisade (8 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 173?
DPA 173 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 155 | 1,134 | 2025 | 21.5% | |
| DPA 156 | 1,900 | 2025 | 17.7% | |
| DPA 171 | 1,165 | 2025 | 38.5% | |
| DPA 178 | 1,521 | 2025 | 13.8% | |
| DPA 181 | 964 | 2025 | 14.1% | |
| DPA 679 | 2,146 | 2025 | 20.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 173 in 2025?
528 deer were registered: 442 adult bucks, 68 adult does and 18 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 535, in 2022.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 173?
The DNR lists DPA 173 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 173?
Yes. 120,743 acres, 38% 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 6 wildlife management areas here, the largest Grayling Marsh WMA (9,960 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 173?
2,432 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 453 deer, 411 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 St. Louis County Carlton County Itasca County DPA 155 DPA 156 DPA 171 DPA 178 DPA 181 DPA 679