Deer Permit Area 177: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 177 covers 553 square miles of St. Louis, Koochiching and Itasca counties, around Tower. Hunters registered 510 deer here in 2025, 442 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 6% from 2024. 24% of DPA 177 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (72,821 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 177Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | St. Louis County, Koochiching County and Itasca County |
|---|---|
| Size | 354,222 acres (553 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 | 510 (442 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,732 |
| Public land | 24% (85,001 acres) |
| WMAs | 3 (243 acres inside DPA 177) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Tower, Cook, Orr, Mountain Iron and Ely |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 177?
The DNR registered 510 deer in DPA 177 in 2025: 442 adult bucks, 58 adult does and 10 fawns, about 1.1 deer for each of the 480 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,732 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 446 deer, about 16 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 302 hunters, 39 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 | 510 | 442 | 58 | 10 | 1.06 | 2,732 | 446 | 302 | 39 | 89 | 1 |
| 2024 | 481 | 388 | 78 | 15 | 1.00 | 3,013 | 415 | 281 | 36 | 98 | 6 |
| 2023 | 563 | 423 | 120 | 20 | 1.17 | 3,136 | 496 | 290 | 35 | 100 | 8 |
| 2022 | 649 | 421 | 180 | 48 | 1.35 | 3,396 | 569 | 297 | 40 | 108 | 7 |
| 2021 | 745 | 497 | 188 | 60 | 1.55 | 3,493 | 656 | 329 | 42 | 137 | 10 |
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 177 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 177?
DPA 177 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 177?
85,001 of DPA 177's 354,222 acres are public land open to the public (24%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 72,821 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 177 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 72,821 | 20.6% |
| National forest | 5,491 | 1.6% |
| State parks | 3,554 | 1% |
| County, city and regional land | 2,510 | 0.7% |
| State wildlife management areas | 348 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 196 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 81 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 85,001 | 24% |
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 177
DNR WMAs in DPA 177, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Owens WMA: 164 acres
- Pike Bay WMA: 44 acres
- Pine Island WMA: 35 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Kabetogama State Forest (24,027 acres), Sturgeon River State Forest (23,960 acres), Superior National Forest (5,511 acres), Koochiching State Forest (4,442 acres), Lost Lake Peatland (2,510 acres) and George Washington State Forest (1,219 acres).
How do you get to DPA 177?
Highways through it: MN 1 (about 40 miles inside), MN 65 (about 19 miles inside), US 53 (about 17 miles inside), MN 73 (about 12 miles inside) and MN 169 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Tower and Cook. Nearby: Orr (2 miles), Mountain Iron (14 miles), Ely (15 miles) and Kinney (16 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 177?
DPA 177 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 109 | 415 | 2025 | 43.5% | |
| DPA 118 | 408 | 2025 | 67.5% | |
| DPA 119 | 279 | 2025 | 51.6% | |
| DPA 130 | 142 | 2025 | 41.9% | |
| DPA 169 | 927 | 2025 | 46.4% | |
| DPA 176 | 599 | 2025 | 30.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 177 in 2025?
510 deer were registered: 442 adult bucks, 58 adult does and 10 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 745, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 177?
The DNR lists DPA 177 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 177?
Yes. 85,001 acres, 24% 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 3 wildlife management areas here, the largest Owens WMA (164 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 177?
2,732 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 446 deer, 415 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 Koochiching County Itasca County DPA 109 DPA 118 DPA 119 DPA 130 DPA 169 DPA 176