Deer Permit Area 208: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 208 covers 378 square miles of Marshall and Pennington counties, around Grygla. Hunters registered 465 deer here in 2025, 338 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 14% from 2024. 3.8% of DPA 208 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (8,519 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 wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasCounty, city and regional landDPA 208Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Marshall County and Pennington County |
|---|---|
| Size | 242,156 acres (378 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 465 (338 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,098 |
| Public land | 3.8% (9,104 acres) |
| WMAs | 10 (8,458 acres inside DPA 208) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Grygla, Middle River, Goodridge, Holt, Thief River Falls and Newfolden |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 208?
The DNR registered 465 deer in DPA 208 in 2025: 338 adult bucks, 104 adult does and 23 fawns, about 1.2 deer for each of the 379 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,098 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 405 deer, about 37 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 96 hunters, 8 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 | 465 | 338 | 104 | 23 | 1.23 | 1,098 | 405 | 96 | 8 | 127 | 16 |
| 2024 | 409 | 303 | 83 | 23 | 1.08 | 1,059 | 341 | 109 | 17 | 124 | 20 |
| 2023 | 378 | 228 | 118 | 32 | 1.00 | 1,000 | 317 | 122 | 8 | 139 | 33 |
| 2022 | 484 | 268 | 170 | 46 | 1.28 | 1,071 | 378 | 123 | 16 | 156 | 54 |
| 2021 | 550 | 323 | 167 | 60 | 1.45 | 1,148 | 444 | 140 | 20 | 166 | 40 |
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 208 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 208?
DPA 208 is a "One-deer limit: either sex" area for 2026. It is in the 200 series, which sets its firearms dates. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
| Season | 2026 dates or rule |
|---|---|
| Bag limit designation | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Archery | Sept. 19 to Dec. 31, 2026 |
| Firearm A season | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 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). Special regulations for WMAs in this permit area. Details are on the DNR's WMA rules page. Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 208?
9,104 of DPA 208's 242,156 acres are public land open to the public (3.8%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 8,519 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 208 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 8,519 | 3.5% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 543 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 40 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 9,104 | 3.8% |
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 208
DNR WMAs in DPA 208, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Espelie WMA: 3,485 acres
- Sem WMA: 2,215 acres
- Moylan WMA: 1,715 acres
- Agder WMA: 278 acres
- Snowshoe WMA: 241 acres
- Cedar II WMA: 163 acres
- Sharp WMA: 159 acres
- Reiner WMA: 121 acres
- Whiteford WMA: 76 acres
- Elm Lake WMA: 5 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Marshall County Waterfowl Production Area (528 acres).
How do you get to DPA 208?
Highways through it: MN 219 (about 15 miles inside), MN 32 (about 14 miles inside), MN 1 (about 10 miles inside) and MN 89 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Grygla, Middle River and Goodridge. Nearby: Holt (on the line), Thief River Falls (on the line), Newfolden (6 miles) and Strathcona (8 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 208?
DPA 208 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 101 | 759 | 2025 | 29.6% | |
| DPA 111 | 412 | 2025 | 59.7% | |
| DPA 203 | 85 | 2025 | 99.9% | |
| DPA 209 | 1,486 | 2025 | 1.2% | |
| DPA 264 | 1,995 | 2025 | 7% | |
| DPA 268 | 801 | 2025 | 37.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 208 in 2025?
465 deer were registered: 338 adult bucks, 104 adult does and 23 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 550, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 208?
The DNR lists DPA 208 as "One-deer limit: either sex" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 208?
Yes. 9,104 acres, 3.8% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state wildlife management areas. The DNR's map shows 10 wildlife management areas here, the largest Espelie WMA (3,485 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 208?
1,098 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 405 deer, 302 of them adult bucks.
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
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 Marshall County Pennington County DPA 101 DPA 111 DPA 203 DPA 209 DPA 264 DPA 268