Deer Permit Area 197: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 197 covers 1,352 square miles of Cass, Itasca and Beltrami counties, around Cass Lake. Hunters registered 1,098 deer here in 2025, 947 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 32% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 48.5% of DPA 197 is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (273,613 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 parksDPA 197Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Cass County, Itasca County, Beltrami County and Hubbard County |
|---|---|
| Size | 864,983 acres (1,352 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (300) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,098 (947 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 4,479 |
| Public land | 48.5% (419,258 acres) |
| WMAs | 7 (9,835 acres inside DPA 197) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Cass Lake, Squaw Lake, Bena, Longville, Boy River and Deer River |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 197?
The DNR registered 1,098 deer in DPA 197 in 2025: 947 adult bucks, 105 adult does and 46 fawns, about 1.1 deer for each of the 973 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 4,479 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 978 deer, about 22 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 588 hunters, 56 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 | 1,098 | 947 | 105 | 46 | 1.13 | 4,479 | 978 | 588 | 56 | 145 | 12 |
| 2024 | 831 | 697 | 104 | 30 | 0.85 | 4,575 | 742 | 579 | 50 | 143 | 13 |
| 2023 | 871 | 667 | 155 | 49 | 0.90 | 4,560 | 793 | 483 | 39 | 164 | 9 |
| 2022 | 950 | 714 | 180 | 56 | 0.98 | 4,636 | 854 | 428 | 47 | 178 | 20 |
| 2021 | 1,002 | 780 | 171 | 51 | 1.03 | 4,684 | 907 | 500 | 48 | 169 | 12 |
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 197 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 197?
DPA 197 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (300)" 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 (300) |
| 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 197?
419,258 of DPA 197's 864,983 acres are public land open to the public (48.5%). The biggest share is national forest: 273,613 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 197 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 273,613 | 31.6% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 135,094 | 15.6% |
| State wildlife management areas | 10,550 | 1.2% |
| State parks | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 419,258 | 48.5% |
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 197
DNR WMAs in DPA 197, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mud Goose WMA: 8,290 acres
- Bowstring Deer Yard WMA: 771 acres
- Sugar Lake WMA: 383 acres
- Ah-gwah-ching WMA: 228 acres
- Morph Meadows WMA: 88 acres
- Nature's Lake WMA: 40 acres
- Steamboat WMA: 35 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Chippewa National Forest (278,573 acres), Bowstring State Forest (101,142 acres), Welsh Lake State Forest (6,266 acres), Buena Vista State Forest (4,958 acres) and Battleground State Forest (997 acres).
How do you get to DPA 197?
Highways through it: US 2 (about 47 miles inside), MN 46 (about 31 miles inside), MN 371 (about 20 miles inside) and MN 6 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: Cass Lake, Squaw Lake, Bena, Whipholt, Ball Club and Inger. Nearby: Longville (on the line), Boy River (on the line), Deer River (on the line) and Federal Dam (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 197?
DPA 197 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 169 | 927 | 2025 | 46.4% | |
| DPA 172 | 1,687 | 2025 | 29.8% | |
| DPA 259 | 1,643 | 2025 | 24% | |
| DPA 679 | 2,146 | 2025 | 20.3% | |
| DPA 684 | 3,267 | 2025 | 9.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 197 in 2025?
1,098 deer were registered: 947 adult bucks, 105 adult does and 46 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,098, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 197?
The DNR lists DPA 197 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (300)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 197?
Yes. 419,258 acres, 48.5% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national forest. The DNR's map shows 7 wildlife management areas here, the largest Mud Goose WMA (8,290 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 197?
4,479 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 978 deer, 878 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 Cass County Itasca County Beltrami County Hubbard County DPA 169 DPA 172 DPA 259 DPA 679 DPA 684