Deer Permit Area 214: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 214 covers 561 square miles of Todd, Morrison and Wadena counties, around Hewitt. Hunters registered 4,781 deer here in 2025, 2,236 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 9% from 2024. 2.8% of DPA 214 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (7,290 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 214Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Todd County, Morrison County and Wadena County |
|---|---|
| Size | 359,322 acres (561 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 4,781 (2,236 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 7,752 |
| Public land | 2.8% (9,903 acres) |
| WMAs | 13 (7,279 acres inside DPA 214) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Hewitt, Eagle Bend, Browerville, Long Prairie, Clarissa and Little Falls |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 214?
The DNR registered 4,781 deer in DPA 214 in 2025: 2,236 adult bucks, 1,703 adult does and 842 fawns, about 8.6 deer for each of the 554 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 7,752 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 3,536 deer, about 46 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,874 hunters, 465 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 | 4,781 | 2,236 | 1,703 | 842 | 8.63 | 7,752 | 3,536 | 1,874 | 465 | 826 | 225 |
| 2024 | 4,380 | 2,109 | 1,454 | 817 | 7.91 | 7,688 | 3,227 | 1,815 | 453 | 900 | 228 |
| 2023 | 4,063 | 1,685 | 1,467 | 911 | 7.33 | 7,359 | 3,007 | 1,847 | 413 | 1,060 | 192 |
| 2022 | 4,133 | 1,759 | 1,505 | 869 | 7.46 | 7,433 | 3,048 | 1,687 | 396 | 1,006 | 227 |
| 2021 | 5,012 | 2,103 | 1,862 | 1,047 | 9.05 | 7,536 | 3,432 | 1,753 | 471 | 1,016 | 283 |
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 214 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 214?
DPA 214 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 214?
9,903 of DPA 214's 359,322 acres are public land open to the public (2.8%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 7,290 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 214 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 7,290 | 2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 2,453 | 0.7% |
| County, city and regional land | 156 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 3 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 9,903 | 2.8% |
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 214
DNR WMAs in DPA 214, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Little Elk WMA: 1,477 acres
- Staples WMA: 1,429 acres
- Ruff-Nik WMA: 1,060 acres
- Long Prairie River WMA: 965 acres
- Mud Lake WMA: 714 acres
- Kobliska WMA: 411 acres
- Philbrook WMA: 337 acres
- Turtle Creek WMA: 320 acres
- Lawrence Lake WMA: 202 acres
- Hartford WMA: 162 acres
- Sheets Lake WMA: 132 acres
- Dower Lake WMA: 40 acres
- Culdrum WMA: 30 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Pine Grove Park (107 acres).
How do you get to DPA 214?
Highways through it: US 10 (about 64 miles inside), MN 210 (about 25 miles inside), US 71 (about 18 miles inside) and MN 27 (about 10 miles inside). Towns inside: Hewitt, Eagle Bend, Browerville, Bertha, Verndale and Aldrich. Nearby: Long Prairie (on the line), Clarissa (on the line), Little Falls (on the line) and Motley (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 214?
DPA 214 touches 7 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 213 | 6,423 | 2025 | 3.3% | 3 |
| DPA 215 | 5,267 | 2025 | 2% | |
| DPA 221 | 4,908 | 2025 | 1.8% | |
| DPA 240 | 5,068 | 2025 | 2.4% | |
| DPA 241 | 7,163 | 2025 | 1.8% | |
| DPA 246 | 3,143 | 2025 | 13.1% | |
| DPA 248 | 1,109 | 2025 | 2.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 214 in 2025?
4,781 deer were registered: 2,236 adult bucks, 1,703 adult does and 842 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 5,012, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 214?
The DNR lists DPA 214 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 214?
Yes. 9,903 acres, 2.8% 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 13 wildlife management areas here, the largest Little Elk WMA (1,477 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 214?
7,752 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 3,536 deer, 1,931 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 Todd County Morrison County Wadena County DPA 213 DPA 215 DPA 221 DPA 240 DPA 241 DPA 246 DPA 248