Deer Permit Area 176: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 176 covers 957 square miles of St. Louis and Itasca counties, around Mountain Iron. Hunters registered 599 deer here in 2025, 581 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 10% from 2024. 30.6% of DPA 176 is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (101,275 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 parksCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landDPA 176Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | St. Louis County and Itasca County |
|---|---|
| Size | 612,735 acres (957 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 | 599 (581 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 3,515 |
| Public land | 30.6% (187,489 acres) |
| WMAs | 2 (1,069 acres inside DPA 176) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Mountain Iron, Virginia, Nashwauk, Gilbert, Hibbing and Tower |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 176?
The DNR registered 599 deer in DPA 176 in 2025: 581 adult bucks, 13 adult does and 5 fawns, about 0.7 deer for each of the 921 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 3,515 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 556 deer, about 16 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 381 hunters, 27 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 | 599 | 581 | 13 | 5 | 0.65 | 3,515 | 556 | 381 | 27 | 117 | 3 |
| 2024 | 546 | 521 | 18 | 7 | 0.59 | 3,592 | 490 | 373 | 36 | 108 | 6 |
| 2023 | 576 | 452 | 103 | 21 | 0.63 | 4,128 | 485 | 477 | 54 | 132 | 5 |
| 2022 | 714 | 544 | 135 | 35 | 0.78 | 4,677 | 609 | 453 | 51 | 153 | 15 |
| 2021 | 863 | 681 | 148 | 34 | 0.94 | 5,011 | 737 | 572 | 59 | 183 | 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 176 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 176?
DPA 176 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 176?
187,489 of DPA 176's 612,735 acres are public land open to the public (30.6%). The biggest share is national forest: 101,275 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 176 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 101,275 | 16.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 82,906 | 13.5% |
| State parks | 1,798 | 0.3% |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,243 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 227 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 39 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 187,489 | 30.6% |
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 176
DNR WMAs in DPA 176, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Darwin S. Myers WMA: 746 acres
- Peloquin WMA: 323 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Superior National Forest (102,192 acres), Sturgeon River State Forest (30,035 acres) and George Washington State Forest (15,232 acres).
How do you get to DPA 176?
Highways through it: US 53 (about 38 miles inside), MN 169 (about 30 miles inside), MN 135 (about 27 miles inside), MN 73 (about 26 miles inside) and MN 65 (about 23 miles inside). Towns inside: Mountain Iron, Virginia, Nashwauk, Biwabik, Chisholm and Kinney. Nearby: Gilbert (on the line), Hibbing (on the line), Tower (on the line) and Hoyt Lakes (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 176?
DPA 176 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 130 | 142 | 2025 | 41.9% | |
| DPA 169 | 927 | 2025 | 46.4% | |
| DPA 177 | 510 | 2025 | 24% | |
| DPA 178 | 1,521 | 2025 | 13.8% | |
| DPA 679 | 2,146 | 2025 | 20.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 176 in 2025?
599 deer were registered: 581 adult bucks, 13 adult does and 5 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 863, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 176?
The DNR lists DPA 176 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 176?
Yes. 187,489 acres, 30.6% 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 Darwin S. Myers WMA (746 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 176?
3,515 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 556 deer, 543 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 St. Louis County Itasca County DPA 130 DPA 169 DPA 177 DPA 178 DPA 679