Deer Permit Area 181: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 181 covers 649 square miles of St. Louis, Carlton and Itasca counties, around Cromwell. Hunters registered 964 deer here in 2025, 854 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 19% from 2024. 14.1% of DPA 181 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (51,170 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 landOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landDPA 181Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | St. Louis County, Carlton County, Itasca County and Aitkin County |
|---|---|
| Size | 415,431 acres (649 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (100) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 964 (854 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 4,002 |
| Public land | 14.1% (58,439 acres) |
| WMAs | 3 (2,852 acres inside DPA 181) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Cromwell, Floodwood, Meadowlands, Brookston and Rice Lake |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 181?
The DNR registered 964 deer in DPA 181 in 2025: 854 adult bucks, 88 adult does and 22 fawns, about 1.5 deer for each of the 629 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 4,002 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 837 deer, about 21 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 563 hunters, 87 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 | 964 | 854 | 88 | 22 | 1.53 | 4,002 | 837 | 563 | 87 | 117 | 6 |
| 2024 | 812 | 710 | 84 | 18 | 1.29 | 4,007 | 695 | 569 | 83 | 98 | 7 |
| 2023 | 715 | 604 | 85 | 26 | 1.14 | 4,157 | 637 | 592 | 51 | 160 | 8 |
| 2022 | 825 | 674 | 114 | 37 | 1.31 | 4,392 | 712 | 543 | 66 | 156 | 11 |
| 2021 | 1,061 | 697 | 300 | 64 | 1.69 | 4,916 | 955 | 635 | 59 | 224 | 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 181 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 181?
DPA 181 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (100)" 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 (100) |
| 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 181?
58,439 of DPA 181's 415,431 acres are public land open to the public (14.1%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 51,170 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 181 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 51,170 | 12.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 3,430 | 0.8% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,155 | 0.8% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 643 | 0.2% |
| Other federal land | 41 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 58,439 | 14.1% |
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 181
DNR WMAs in DPA 181, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Canosia WMA: 2,491 acres
- Red Clover WMA: 321 acres
- Carl Sandell WMA: 40 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Fond Du Lac State Forest (20,935 acres), Cloquet Valley State Forest (4,139 acres), Wawina Peatland (4,073 acres), Whiteface River State Forest (1,914 acres) and Savanna State Forest (104 acres).
How do you get to DPA 181?
Highways through it: US 53 (about 37 miles inside), US 2 (about 29 miles inside), MN 73 (about 22 miles inside), MN 33 (about 20 miles inside) and MN 210 (about 2 miles inside). Towns inside: Cromwell and Floodwood. Nearby: Meadowlands (on the line), Brookston (on the line), Rice Lake (on the line) and Hermantown (4 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 181?
DPA 181 touches 7 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 132 | 215 | 2025 | 27.2% | |
| DPA 133 | 449 | 2025 | 12.9% | |
| DPA 156 | 1,900 | 2025 | 17.7% | |
| DPA 173 | 528 | 2025 | 38% | |
| DPA 178 | 1,521 | 2025 | 13.8% | |
| DPA 182 | 824 | 2025 | 5.2% | |
| DPA 199 | 110 | 2025 | 6.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 181 in 2025?
964 deer were registered: 854 adult bucks, 88 adult does and 22 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,061, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 181?
The DNR lists DPA 181 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (100)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 181?
Yes. 58,439 acres, 14.1% 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 Canosia WMA (2,491 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 181?
4,002 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 837 deer, 775 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 Carlton County Itasca County Aitkin County DPA 132 DPA 133 DPA 156 DPA 173 DPA 178 DPA 182 DPA 199