Deer Permit Area 209: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 209 covers 640 square miles of Pennington, Clearwater and Red Lake counties, around Gonvick. Hunters registered 1,486 deer here in 2025, 755 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 8% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.2% of DPA 209 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (3,192 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 areasDPA 209Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Pennington County, Clearwater County, Red Lake County and Polk County |
|---|---|
| Size | 409,873 acres (640 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,486 (755 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,662 |
| Public land | 1.2% (4,848 acres) |
| WMAs | 11 (3,173 acres inside DPA 209) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Gonvick, Trail, Oklee, Plummer, Brooks and Clearbrook |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 209?
The DNR registered 1,486 deer in DPA 209 in 2025: 755 adult bucks, 553 adult does and 178 fawns, about 2.3 deer for each of the 640 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,662 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,202 deer, about 45 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 431 hunters, 117 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 | 1,486 | 755 | 553 | 178 | 2.32 | 2,662 | 1,202 | 431 | 117 | 352 | 86 |
| 2024 | 1,380 | 769 | 465 | 146 | 2.16 | 2,679 | 1,091 | 440 | 127 | 348 | 90 |
| 2023 | 1,234 | 620 | 438 | 176 | 1.93 | 2,468 | 978 | 393 | 90 | 361 | 92 |
| 2022 | 1,279 | 569 | 524 | 186 | 2.00 | 2,497 | 924 | 329 | 90 | 317 | 86 |
| 2021 | 1,423 | 766 | 471 | 186 | 2.22 | 2,503 | 1,122 | 372 | 93 | 306 | 96 |
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 209 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 209?
DPA 209 is a "Three-deer limit" 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 | Three-deer limit |
| 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). Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 209?
4,848 of DPA 209's 409,873 acres are public land open to the public (1.2%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 3,192 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 209 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,192 | 0.8% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,628 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 28 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,848 | 1.2% |
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 209
DNR WMAs in DPA 209, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Crane WMA: 1,297 acres
- Larix WMA: 589 acres
- Gully WMA: 446 acres
- Oriniak WMA: 312 acres
- Le Blanc WMA: 159 acres
- Jacksnipe WMA: 156 acres
- Emardville WMA: 88 acres
- Clearwater V & S 9 WMA: 42 acres
- Spike Lake WMA: 37 acres
- Bagley Lake WMA: 25 acres
- Hangaard WMA: 22 acres
How do you get to DPA 209?
Highways through it: MN 92 (about 18 miles inside), MN 1 (about 18 miles inside) and US 59 (about 15 miles inside). Towns inside: Gonvick, Trail, Oklee and Gully. Nearby: Plummer (on the line), Brooks (on the line), Clearbrook (on the line) and Thief River Falls (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 209?
DPA 209 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 208 | 465 | 2025 | 3.8% | |
| DPA 210 | 1,487 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 256 | 1,042 | 2025 | 7.5% | |
| DPA 257 | 979 | 2025 | 8.4% | |
| DPA 264 | 1,995 | 2025 | 7% | |
| DPA 684 | 3,267 | 2025 | 9.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 209 in 2025?
1,486 deer were registered: 755 adult bucks, 553 adult does and 178 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,486, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 209?
The DNR lists DPA 209 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 209?
Yes. 4,848 acres, 1.2% 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 11 wildlife management areas here, the largest Crane WMA (1,297 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 209?
2,662 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,202 deer, 637 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 Pennington County Clearwater County Red Lake County Polk County DPA 208 DPA 210 DPA 256 DPA 257 DPA 264 DPA 684