Deer Permit Area 225: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 225 covers 635 square miles of Chisago, Isanti and Kanabec counties, around Rock Creek. Hunters registered 5,598 deer here in 2025, 2,843 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. 4.2% of DPA 225 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (7,850 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 parksNational park landCounty, city and regional landDPA 225Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Chisago County, Isanti County, Kanabec County, Mille Lacs County and Pine County |
|---|---|
| Size | 406,497 acres (635 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 5,598 (2,843 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 8,496 |
| Public land | 4.2% (17,237 acres) |
| WMAs | 13 (7,494 acres inside DPA 225) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Rock Creek, Harris, Rush City, Ogilvie, North Branch and Pease |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 225?
The DNR registered 5,598 deer in DPA 225 in 2025: 2,843 adult bucks, 1,907 adult does and 848 fawns, about 9.1 deer for each of the 618 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 8,496 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 3,969 deer, about 47 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 3,130 hunters, 939 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 | 5,598 | 2,843 | 1,907 | 848 | 9.06 | 8,496 | 3,969 | 3,130 | 939 | 886 | 221 |
| 2024 | 5,038 | 2,633 | 1,678 | 727 | 8.15 | 8,136 | 3,679 | 2,972 | 824 | 901 | 192 |
| 2023 | 4,326 | 2,134 | 1,510 | 682 | 7.00 | 7,927 | 3,247 | 2,872 | 646 | 1,033 | 154 |
| 2022 | 4,396 | 2,116 | 1,552 | 728 | 7.11 | 7,870 | 3,161 | 2,648 | 642 | 1,012 | 239 |
| 2021 | 4,261 | 2,232 | 1,368 | 661 | 6.89 | 7,830 | 3,253 | 2,734 | 625 | 1,020 | 212 |
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 225 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 225?
DPA 225 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 225?
17,237 of DPA 225's 406,497 acres are public land open to the public (4.2%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 7,850 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 225 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 7,850 | 1.9% |
| State parks | 6,594 | 1.6% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,356 | 0.3% |
| National park land | 1,190 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 247 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 17,237 | 4.2% |
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 225
DNR WMAs in DPA 225, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Dalbo WMA: 3,365 acres
- Rock Marsh WMA: 1,122 acres
- Rice Creek WMA: 926 acres
- Rush Lake WMA: 676 acres
- Tosher Creek WMA: 323 acres
- Cranberry WMA: 317 acres
- Becklin Homestead WMA: 277 acres
- Wild Rose WMA: 199 acres
- Dobe WMA: 99 acres
- Nessel WMA: 72 acres
- Bolger WMA: 41 acres
- Wire Tree WMA: 39 acres
- Stanchfield WMA: 38 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (1,390 acres) and Chengwatana State Forest (1,111 acres).
How do you get to DPA 225?
Highways through it: I-35 (about 36 miles inside), MN 95 (about 31 miles inside), US 61 (about 31 miles inside), MN 65 (about 23 miles inside) and US 169 (about 22 miles inside). Towns inside: Rock Creek, Harris, Rush City, Braham, Bock and Stanchfield. Nearby: Ogilvie (on the line), North Branch (on the line), Pease (on the line) and Princeton (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 225?
DPA 225 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 157 | 4,606 | 2025 | 6.8% | |
| DPA 159 | 1,863 | 2025 | 8% | |
| DPA 222 | 3,420 | 2025 | 3.6% | |
| DPA 223 | 2,839 | 2025 | 4.6% | |
| DPA 227 | 4,198 | 2025 | 3.8% | |
| DPA 236 | 2,388 | 2025 | 4.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 225 in 2025?
5,598 deer were registered: 2,843 adult bucks, 1,907 adult does and 848 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 5,598, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 225?
The DNR lists DPA 225 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 225?
Yes. 17,237 acres, 4.2% 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 13 wildlife management areas here, the largest Dalbo WMA (3,365 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 225?
8,496 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 3,969 deer, 2,289 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 Chisago County Isanti County Kanabec County Mille Lacs County Pine County DPA 157 DPA 159 DPA 222 DPA 223 DPA 227 DPA 236