Deer Permit Area 213: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 213 covers 1,163 square miles of Douglas, Todd and Otter Tail counties, around Alexandria. Hunters registered 6,423 deer here in 2025, 3,119 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 10% from 2024. 3.3% of DPA 213 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (13,684 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 areasState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessDPA 213Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Douglas County, Todd County, Otter Tail County, Pope County and Stearns County |
|---|---|
| Size | 744,582 acres (1,163 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 6,423 (3,119 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 10,756 |
| Public land | 3.3% (24,847 acres) |
| WMAs | 37 (8,620 acres inside DPA 213) |
| Walk-In Access | 3 sites, 290 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Alexandria, Glenwood, Sauk Centre, Urbank, Browerville and Long Prairie |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 213?
The DNR registered 6,423 deer in DPA 213 in 2025: 3,119 adult bucks, 2,306 adult does and 998 fawns, about 6.1 deer for each of the 1,057 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 10,756 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 4,409 deer, about 41 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 2,934 hunters, 984 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 | 6,423 | 3,119 | 2,306 | 998 | 6.08 | 10,756 | 4,409 | 2,934 | 984 | 1,677 | 476 |
| 2024 | 5,814 | 3,051 | 1,930 | 833 | 5.50 | 10,518 | 4,223 | 2,989 | 940 | 1,707 | 444 |
| 2023 | 5,058 | 2,320 | 1,832 | 906 | 4.79 | 9,973 | 3,867 | 2,963 | 605 | 1,912 | 388 |
| 2022 | 5,824 | 2,433 | 2,300 | 1,091 | 5.51 | 10,171 | 3,840 | 2,664 | 769 | 1,832 | 520 |
| 2021 | 6,688 | 3,014 | 2,469 | 1,205 | 6.33 | 10,368 | 4,282 | 2,770 | 851 | 1,828 | 517 |
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 213 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 213?
DPA 213 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 |
| Early antlerless season | Oct. 15 to Oct. 18, 2026 |
| Disease management | CWD surveillance zone |
| CWD testing | Mandatory CWD testing Nov. 7-8; Voluntary CWD testing remainder of all seasons |
Source: Minnesota DNR deer permit areas, 2026 seasons (July 2026 - June 2027). Special CWD related regulations in this area. See mndnr.gov/cwd for details. Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 213?
24,847 of DPA 213's 744,582 acres are public land open to the public (3.3%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 13,684 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 213 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 13,684 | 1.8% |
| State wildlife management areas | 8,936 | 1.2% |
| State parks | 1,155 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 718 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 345 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 9 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 24,847 | 3.3% |
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 213
DNR WMAs in DPA 213, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Roger M. Holmes WMA: 1,031 acres
- Forada WMA: 829 acres
- Herberger Lake WMA: 690 acres
- Santer WMA: 572 acres
- Burleene WMA: 556 acres
- Osakis WMA: 477 acres
- Spruce Creek WMA: 365 acres
- Quistorff WMA: 359 acres
- Owen-Hinz WMA: 332 acres
- Engelbrecht WMA: 316 acres
- Volkman WMA: 276 acres
- Belle River WMA: 253 acres
- West Union WMA: 243 acres
- Iona WMA: 221 acres
- Nycklemoe WMA: 208 acres
- Spohn WMA: 162 acres
- Victor Winter WMA: 160 acres
- Platt Lake WMA: 159 acres
- Great Northern WMA: 150 acres
- Hi-View WMA: 134 acres
- Jensen Memorial WMA: 133 acres
- La Grande WMA: 119 acres
- Miltona WMA: 107 acres
- Aurzada Prairie WMA: 105 acres
- Hollister WMA: 82 acres
- Gustave-Melby WMA: 81 acres
- Garfield WMA: 80 acres
- Hartfiel WMA: 63 acres
- Randall WMA: 58 acres
- Big Spruce WMA: 48 acres
- Balgaard WMA: 46 acres
- St. Olaf WMA: 42 acres
- Miller WMA: 39 acres
- Schulke WMA: 38 acres
- Thornberg WMA: 33 acres
- Blair Pond WMA: 32 acres
- Kuhtz Lake WMA: 21 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Douglas County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (7,185 acres), Otter Tail County Waterfowl Production Area (4,184 acres), Todd County Waterfowl Production Area (729 acres), Grant County Waterfowl Production Area (710 acres) and Stearns County Waterfowl Production Area (663 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 213
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 3 sites in DPA 213, 290 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Douglas WIA #291 (149 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 213?
Highways through it: US 52 (about 115 miles inside), I-94 (about 115 miles inside), MN 27 (about 35 miles inside), MN 29 (about 28 miles inside) and US 71 (about 22 miles inside). Towns inside: Alexandria, Glenwood, Sauk Centre, Osakis, Clarissa and Millerville. Nearby: Urbank (on the line), Browerville (on the line), Long Prairie (on the line) and Eagle Bend (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 213?
DPA 213 touches 8 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 214 | 4,781 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 215 | 5,267 | 2025 | 2% | |
| DPA 218 | 3,769 | 2025 | 2.9% | |
| DPA 239 | 3,595 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 240 | 5,068 | 2025 | 2.4% | |
| DPA 270 | 330 | 2025 | 3.5% | 8 |
| DPA 273 | 1,013 | 2025 | 5% | 1 |
| DPA 277 | 4,575 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 213 in 2025?
6,423 deer were registered: 3,119 adult bucks, 2,306 adult does and 998 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 6,688, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 213?
The DNR lists DPA 213 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 213?
Yes. 24,847 acres, 3.3% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas. The DNR's map shows 37 wildlife management areas here, the largest Roger M. Holmes WMA (1,031 acres). Walk-In Access adds 3 sites (290 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 213?
10,756 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 4,409 deer, 2,447 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 Douglas County Todd County Otter Tail County Pope County Stearns County Grant County DPA 214 DPA 215 DPA 218 DPA 239 DPA 240 DPA 270 DPA 273 DPA 277