Deer Permit Area 178: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 178 covers 1,242 square miles of St. Louis and Itasca counties, around Hibbing. Hunters registered 1,521 deer here in 2025, 1,283 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 9% from 2024. 13.8% of DPA 178 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (98,665 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 landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landDPA 178Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | St. Louis County and Itasca County |
|---|---|
| Size | 795,109 acres (1,242 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 | 1,521 (1,283 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 6,798 |
| Public land | 13.8% (109,986 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (3,292 acres inside DPA 178) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Hibbing, Gilbert, Eveleth, Aurora, Keewatin and Biwabik |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 178?
The DNR registered 1,521 deer in DPA 178 in 2025: 1,283 adult bucks, 187 adult does and 51 fawns, about 1.3 deer for each of the 1,195 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 6,798 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,274 deer, about 19 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 885 hunters, 142 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 | 1,521 | 1,283 | 187 | 51 | 1.27 | 6,798 | 1,274 | 885 | 142 | 172 | 21 |
| 2024 | 1,392 | 1,190 | 170 | 32 | 1.16 | 6,855 | 1,184 | 906 | 119 | 189 | 10 |
| 2023 | 1,272 | 949 | 256 | 67 | 1.06 | 7,097 | 1,089 | 949 | 107 | 254 | 10 |
| 2022 | 1,474 | 1,065 | 341 | 68 | 1.23 | 7,597 | 1,268 | 896 | 107 | 259 | 20 |
| 2021 | 1,705 | 1,301 | 320 | 84 | 1.43 | 7,811 | 1,486 | 899 | 107 | 298 | 16 |
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 178 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 178?
DPA 178 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 178?
109,986 of DPA 178's 795,109 acres are public land open to the public (13.8%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 98,665 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 178 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 98,665 | 12.4% |
| National forest | 7,372 | 0.9% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,713 | 0.5% |
| County, city and regional land | 156 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 80 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 109,986 | 13.8% |
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 178
DNR WMAs in DPA 178, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Sax WMA: 944 acres
- Zim WMA: 910 acres
- Fermoy WMA: 503 acres
- Little Whiteface River WMA: 441 acres
- Great Scott WMA: 278 acres
- Anchor Lake WMA: 216 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Cloquet Valley State Forest (11,348 acres), Superior National Forest (7,426 acres) and Whiteface River State Forest (551 acres).
How do you get to DPA 178?
Highways through it: US 53 (about 64 miles inside), US 169 (about 60 miles inside), MN 73 (about 36 miles inside), MN 37 (about 32 miles inside) and MN 65 (about 15 miles inside). Towns inside: Hibbing, Gilbert, Eveleth, Leonidas, Iron Junction and Meadowlands. Nearby: Aurora (on the line), Keewatin (on the line), Biwabik (on the line) and Chisholm (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 178?
DPA 178 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 130 | 142 | 2025 | 41.9% | |
| DPA 132 | 215 | 2025 | 27.2% | |
| DPA 173 | 528 | 2025 | 38% | |
| DPA 176 | 599 | 2025 | 30.6% | |
| DPA 181 | 964 | 2025 | 14.1% | |
| DPA 679 | 2,146 | 2025 | 20.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 178 in 2025?
1,521 deer were registered: 1,283 adult bucks, 187 adult does and 51 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,705, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 178?
The DNR lists DPA 178 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 178?
Yes. 109,986 acres, 13.8% 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 Sax WMA (944 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 178?
6,798 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,274 deer, 1,150 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 132 DPA 173 DPA 176 DPA 181 DPA 679