Deer Permit Area 223: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 223 covers 387 square miles of Sherburne, Benton and Mille Lacs counties, around Elk River. Hunters registered 2,839 deer here in 2025, 1,387 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 1% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 4.6% of DPA 223 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (6,243 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 223Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Sherburne County, Benton County and Mille Lacs County |
|---|---|
| Size | 247,648 acres (387 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 2,839 (1,387 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 3,870 |
| Public land | 4.6% (11,365 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (3,878 acres inside DPA 223) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Elk River, Becker, Big Lake, Princeton, Clearwater and Monticello |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 223?
The DNR registered 2,839 deer in DPA 223 in 2025: 1,387 adult bucks, 1,026 adult does and 426 fawns, about 7.6 deer for each of the 376 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 3,870 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,525 deer, about 39 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 2,794 hunters, 971 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 | 2,839 | 1,387 | 1,026 | 426 | 7.55 | 3,870 | 1,525 | 2,794 | 971 | 598 | 151 |
| 2024 | 2,808 | 1,361 | 1,032 | 415 | 7.47 | 3,811 | 1,554 | 2,775 | 987 | 655 | 136 |
| 2023 | 2,249 | 1,087 | 801 | 361 | 5.98 | 3,747 | 1,344 | 2,719 | 660 | 776 | 110 |
| 2022 | 2,389 | 1,096 | 920 | 373 | 6.35 | 3,634 | 1,304 | 2,474 | 724 | 805 | 202 |
| 2021 | 2,131 | 1,048 | 782 | 301 | 5.67 | 3,555 | 1,267 | 2,513 | 634 | 777 | 158 |
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 223 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 223?
DPA 223 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 223?
11,365 of DPA 223's 247,648 acres are public land open to the public (4.6%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 6,243 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 223 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 6,243 | 2.5% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,930 | 1.6% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,168 | 0.5% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 20 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,365 | 4.6% |
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 223
DNR WMAs in DPA 223, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Kunkel WMA: 2,742 acres
- Sand Prairie WMA: 650 acres
- Glendorado WMA: 216 acres
- Freemont WMA: 181 acres
- Santiago WMA: 81 acres
- Vietnam Veterans WMA: 8 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Sand Dunes State Forest (5,811 acres) and Woodland Trails Park (395 acres).
How do you get to DPA 223?
Highways through it: US 10 (about 74 miles inside), MN 25 (about 34 miles inside), US 169 (about 31 miles inside), MN 95 (about 12 miles inside) and MN 23 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: Elk River, Becker, Big Lake, Zimmerman and Clear Lake. Nearby: Princeton (on the line), Clearwater (on the line), Monticello (on the line) and St. Cloud (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 223?
DPA 223 touches 9 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 215 | 5,267 | 2025 | 2% | |
| DPA 219 | 1,989 | 2025 | 2.3% | |
| DPA 221 | 4,908 | 2025 | 1.8% | |
| DPA 222 | 3,420 | 2025 | 3.6% | |
| DPA 224 | 294 | 2025 | 100% | |
| DPA 225 | 5,598 | 2025 | 4.2% | |
| DPA 227 | 4,198 | 2025 | 3.8% | |
| DPA 229 | 1,039 | 2025 | 3.7% | |
| DPA 601 | 2,588 | 2025 | 9.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 223 in 2025?
2,839 deer were registered: 1,387 adult bucks, 1,026 adult does and 426 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 2,839, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 223?
The DNR lists DPA 223 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 223?
Yes. 11,365 acres, 4.6% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state forest and other DNR land. The DNR's map shows 6 wildlife management areas here, the largest Kunkel WMA (2,742 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 223?
3,870 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,525 deer, 897 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 Sherburne County Benton County Mille Lacs County DPA 215 DPA 219 DPA 221 DPA 222 DPA 224 DPA 225 DPA 227 DPA 229