Deer Permit Area 215: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 215 covers 731 square miles of Stearns, Morrison and Todd counties, around Sartell. Hunters registered 5,267 deer here in 2025, 2,387 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 7% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 2% of DPA 215 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (3,977 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 landDPA 215Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Stearns County, Morrison County, Todd County and Benton County |
|---|---|
| Size | 467,564 acres (731 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 5,267 (2,387 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 8,038 |
| Public land | 2% (9,134 acres) |
| WMAs | 11 (3,759 acres inside DPA 215) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Sartell, Flensburg, Sobieski, Sauk Centre, St. Joseph and Little Falls |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 215?
The DNR registered 5,267 deer in DPA 215 in 2025: 2,387 adult bucks, 1,986 adult does and 894 fawns, about 7.5 deer for each of the 701 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 8,038 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 3,367 deer, about 42 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 3,006 hunters, 1,012 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 | 5,267 | 2,387 | 1,986 | 894 | 7.51 | 8,038 | 3,367 | 3,006 | 1,012 | 1,396 | 398 |
| 2024 | 4,913 | 2,390 | 1,644 | 879 | 7.01 | 7,948 | 3,102 | 2,855 | 950 | 1,484 | 416 |
| 2023 | 4,318 | 1,853 | 1,510 | 955 | 6.16 | 7,452 | 2,807 | 2,698 | 729 | 1,587 | 357 |
| 2022 | 4,346 | 1,856 | 1,611 | 879 | 6.20 | 7,527 | 2,747 | 2,616 | 731 | 1,566 | 423 |
| 2021 | 4,595 | 2,067 | 1,684 | 844 | 6.55 | 7,463 | 2,823 | 2,584 | 772 | 1,461 | 361 |
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 215 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 215?
DPA 215 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 215?
9,134 of DPA 215's 467,564 acres are public land open to the public (2%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 3,977 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 215 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,977 | 0.9% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,019 | 0.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,725 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,100 | 0.2% |
| State parks | 296 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 17 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 9,134 | 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 215
DNR WMAs in DPA 215, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Grey Eagle WMA: 1,407 acres
- Clare Johnson - Carl W. Schmidt WMA: 702 acres
- Oak Ridge WMA: 450 acres
- Elgin Woods WMA: 240 acres
- Sponsa WMA: 218 acres
- Happy Valley WMA: 206 acres
- Buckhorn Lake WMA: 157 acres
- Lasher Lake WMA: 146 acres
- Ritter WMA: 100 acres
- Ireland WMA: 79 acres
- Ostendorff WMA: 54 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Stearns County Waterfowl Production Area (1,943 acres), Birch Lakes State Forest (523 acres), Pinecone Central Park (220 acres), Todd County Waterfowl Production Area (159 acres) and Whitney Memorial Park (125 acres).
How do you get to DPA 215?
Highways through it: MN 238 (about 35 miles inside), MN 28 (about 27 miles inside), MN 27 (about 18 miles inside), I-94 (about 15 miles inside) and US 52 (about 15 miles inside). Towns inside: Sartell, Flensburg, Sobieski, St. Stephen, Elmdale and Upsala. Nearby: Sauk Centre (on the line), St. Joseph (on the line), Little Falls (on the line) and Sauk Rapids (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 215?
DPA 215 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 213 | 6,423 | 2025 | 3.3% | 3 |
| DPA 214 | 4,781 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 218 | 3,769 | 2025 | 2.9% | |
| DPA 219 | 1,989 | 2025 | 2.3% | |
| DPA 221 | 4,908 | 2025 | 1.8% | |
| DPA 223 | 2,839 | 2025 | 4.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 215 in 2025?
5,267 deer were registered: 2,387 adult bucks, 1,986 adult does and 894 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 5,267, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 215?
The DNR lists DPA 215 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 215?
Yes. 9,134 acres, 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 Grey Eagle WMA (1,407 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 215?
8,038 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 3,367 deer, 1,827 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 Stearns County Morrison County Todd County Benton County DPA 213 DPA 214 DPA 218 DPA 219 DPA 221 DPA 223