Deer Permit Area 182: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 182 covers 289 square miles of St. Louis and Carlton counties, around Duluth. Hunters registered 824 deer here in 2025, 430 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 4% from 2024. 5.2% of DPA 182 is public land open to the public, the largest share county, city and regional land (5,142 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 landState parksCounty, city and regional landDPA 182Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | St. Louis County and Carlton County |
|---|---|
| Size | 184,901 acres (289 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 824 (430 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,965 |
| Public land | 5.2% (9,644 acres) |
| WMAs | 2 (924 acres inside DPA 182) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Duluth, Hermantown, Proctor, Carlton, Cloquet and Rice Lake |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 182?
The DNR registered 824 deer in DPA 182 in 2025: 430 adult bucks, 296 adult does and 98 fawns, about 3.0 deer for each of the 278 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,965 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 513 deer, about 26 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,255 hunters, 281 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 | 824 | 430 | 296 | 98 | 2.96 | 1,965 | 513 | 1,255 | 281 | 97 | 9 |
| 2024 | 793 | 452 | 260 | 81 | 2.85 | 1,976 | 509 | 1,318 | 253 | 124 | 13 |
| 2023 | 772 | 438 | 259 | 75 | 2.78 | 1,949 | 507 | 1,302 | 241 | 123 | 10 |
| 2022 | 903 | 463 | 336 | 104 | 3.25 | 2,061 | 623 | 1,258 | 244 | 160 | 19 |
| 2021 | 985 | 518 | 344 | 123 | 3.54 | 2,150 | 666 | 1,218 | 259 | 171 | 19 |
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 182 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 182?
DPA 182 is a "Three-deer limit" 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 | Three-deer limit |
| 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 182?
9,644 of DPA 182's 184,901 acres are public land open to the public (5.2%). The biggest share is county, city and regional land: 5,142 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 182 |
|---|---|---|
| County, city and regional land | 5,142 | 2.8% |
| State parks | 1,808 | 1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,360 | 0.7% |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,334 | 0.7% |
| All public land open to the public | 9,644 | 5.2% |
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 182
DNR WMAs in DPA 182, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Gichigami Ziibi WMA: 895 acres
- Hearding Island WMA: 29 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Magney-Snivey Natural Area (1,700 acres), Hartley Park, Hartley Nature Center (620 acres), Brewer Park/Bellevue Park (548 acres), Hawk Ridge (394 acres), Pine Valley Park (162 acres), Keene Creek Park (144 acres), Chester Bowl Park (121 acres) and Terry Egerdahl Memorial Field (113 acres).
How do you get to DPA 182?
Highways through it: I-35 (about 48 miles inside), US 53 (about 28 miles inside), MN 194 (about 24 miles inside), MN 61 (about 23 miles inside) and US 2 (about 22 miles inside). Towns inside: Duluth, Hermantown, Proctor, Scanlon and Esko. Nearby: Carlton (on the line), Cloquet (on the line), Rice Lake (2 miles) and Wrenshall (2 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 182?
DPA 182 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 133 | 449 | 2025 | 12.9% | |
| DPA 153 | 1,144 | 2025 | 8.7% | |
| DPA 156 | 1,900 | 2025 | 17.7% | |
| DPA 181 | 964 | 2025 | 14.1% | |
| DPA 199 | 110 | 2025 | 6.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 182 in 2025?
824 deer were registered: 430 adult bucks, 296 adult does and 98 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 985, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 182?
The DNR lists DPA 182 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 182?
Yes. 9,644 acres, 5.2% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly county, city and regional land. The DNR's map shows 2 wildlife management areas here, the largest Gichigami Ziibi WMA (895 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 182?
1,965 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 513 deer, 295 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 DPA 133 DPA 156 DPA 181 DPA 199