Deer Permit Area 221: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 221 covers 650 square miles of Morrison and Benton counties, around Little Falls. Hunters registered 4,908 deer here in 2025, 2,283 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 11% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.8% of DPA 221 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (4,387 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 areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landDPA 221Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Morrison County and Benton County |
|---|---|
| Size | 416,235 acres (650 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 4,908 (2,283 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 6,851 |
| Public land | 1.8% (7,449 acres) |
| WMAs | 12 (3,990 acres inside DPA 221) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Little Falls, Sauk Rapids, Rice, Hillman, Sartell and Foley |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 221?
The DNR registered 4,908 deer in DPA 221 in 2025: 2,283 adult bucks, 1,720 adult does and 905 fawns, about 7.6 deer for each of the 642 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 6,851 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 3,458 deer, about 50 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 2,104 hunters, 677 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 | 4,908 | 2,283 | 1,720 | 905 | 7.64 | 6,851 | 3,458 | 2,104 | 677 | 823 | 234 |
| 2024 | 4,438 | 2,171 | 1,488 | 779 | 6.91 | 6,871 | 3,176 | 2,042 | 592 | 888 | 208 |
| 2023 | 4,050 | 1,774 | 1,537 | 739 | 6.31 | 6,513 | 2,932 | 2,015 | 461 | 979 | 176 |
| 2022 | 4,286 | 1,778 | 1,654 | 854 | 6.68 | 6,538 | 2,950 | 1,951 | 528 | 958 | 284 |
| 2021 | 4,583 | 2,037 | 1,690 | 856 | 7.14 | 6,631 | 3,068 | 1,964 | 562 | 890 | 224 |
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 221 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 221?
DPA 221 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 |
| 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 221?
7,449 of DPA 221's 416,235 acres are public land open to the public (1.8%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 4,387 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 221 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 4,387 | 1.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,196 | 0.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 495 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 360 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 6 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 5 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 7,449 | 1.8% |
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 221
DNR WMAs in DPA 221, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Ereaux WMA: 731 acres
- Rice-Skunk WMA: 665 acres
- Rice Area Sportsmens Club WMA: 580 acres
- McDougall WMA: 468 acres
- Graham WMA: 401 acres
- Sartell WMA: 368 acres
- Michaelson Farm WMA: 254 acres
- Crane Meadows WMA: 189 acres
- Wisneski WMA: 164 acres
- Benton WMA: 82 acres
- Coon Lake Marsh WMA: 54 acres
- Otter Point WMA: 34 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (2,198 acres).
How do you get to DPA 221?
Highways through it: US 10 (about 79 miles inside), MN 25 (about 33 miles inside), MN 27 (about 25 miles inside), MN 23 (about 18 miles inside) and MN 371 (about 15 miles inside). Towns inside: Little Falls, Sauk Rapids, Rice, Royalton, Pierz and Buckman. Nearby: Hillman (on the line), Sartell (on the line), Foley (on the line) and Bowlus (3 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 221?
DPA 221 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 214 | 4,781 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 215 | 5,267 | 2025 | 2% | |
| DPA 219 | 1,989 | 2025 | 2.3% | |
| DPA 222 | 3,420 | 2025 | 3.6% | |
| DPA 223 | 2,839 | 2025 | 4.6% | |
| DPA 248 | 1,109 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 249 | 3,126 | 2025 | 4.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 221 in 2025?
4,908 deer were registered: 2,283 adult bucks, 1,720 adult does and 905 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 4,908, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 221?
The DNR lists DPA 221 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 221?
Yes. 7,449 acres, 1.8% 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 12 wildlife management areas here, the largest Ereaux WMA (731 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 221?
6,851 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 3,458 deer, 1,831 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 Morrison County Benton County DPA 214 DPA 215 DPA 219 DPA 222 DPA 223 DPA 248 DPA 249