Deer Permit Area 229: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 229 covers 313 square miles of Wright, Sherburne and Hennepin counties, around St. Michael. Hunters registered 1,039 deer here in 2025, 549 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is down 1% from 2024. 3.7% of DPA 229 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (2,181 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 landLand trusts and other open landDPA 229Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Wright County, Sherburne County and Hennepin County |
|---|---|
| Size | 200,626 acres (313 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,039 (549 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,769 |
| Public land | 3.7% (7,388 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (2,104 acres inside DPA 229) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | St. Michael, Otsego, Monticello, Delano, Waverly and Maple Lake |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 229?
The DNR registered 1,039 deer in DPA 229 in 2025: 549 adult bucks, 363 adult does and 127 fawns, about 3.7 deer for each of the 284 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,769 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 563 deer, about 32 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,283 hunters, 331 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 | 1,039 | 549 | 363 | 127 | 3.66 | 1,769 | 563 | 1,283 | 331 | 313 | 65 |
| 2024 | 1,046 | 521 | 378 | 147 | 3.68 | 1,707 | 567 | 1,249 | 349 | 344 | 68 |
| 2023 | 900 | 483 | 294 | 123 | 3.17 | 1,601 | 537 | 1,153 | 240 | 370 | 55 |
| 2022 | 871 | 444 | 301 | 126 | 3.07 | 1,630 | 508 | 1,060 | 222 | 367 | 68 |
| 2021 | 821 | 420 | 285 | 116 | 2.89 | 1,552 | 519 | 964 | 222 | 347 | 53 |
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 229 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 229?
DPA 229 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 229?
7,388 of DPA 229's 200,626 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 2,181 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 229 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,181 | 1.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,742 | 0.9% |
| State parks | 1,591 | 0.8% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,526 | 0.8% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 320 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 27 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 7,388 | 3.7% |
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 229
DNR WMAs in DPA 229, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Pelican Lake WMA: 1,017 acres
- Maple Lake WMA: 410 acres
- St. Michael Meadows WMA: 211 acres
- Otsego WMA: 205 acres
- Kelly-meyer WMA: 136 acres
- Malardi Lake WMA: 125 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Wright County Waterfowl Production Area (1,523 acres), Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park (321 acres), Robert Ney Regional Park (136 acres), Recreation Center/Zahler'S Fields (107 acres) and Stma High School/Fieldstone Park (101 acres).
How do you get to DPA 229?
Highways through it: I-94 (about 46 miles inside), US 52 (about 46 miles inside), MN 25 (about 20 miles inside), MN 55 (about 20 miles inside) and MN 101 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: St. Michael, Otsego, Monticello, Buffalo, Hanover and Albertville. Nearby: Delano (on the line), Waverly (on the line), Maple Lake (on the line) and Becker (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 229?
DPA 229 touches 4 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 219 | 1,989 | 2025 | 2.3% | |
| DPA 223 | 2,839 | 2025 | 4.6% | |
| DPA 601 | 2,588 | 2025 | 9.5% | |
| DPA 685 | 1.2% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 229 in 2025?
1,039 deer were registered: 549 adult bucks, 363 adult does and 127 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,046, in 2024.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 229?
The DNR lists DPA 229 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 229?
Yes. 7,388 acres, 3.7% 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 6 wildlife management areas here, the largest Pelican Lake WMA (1,017 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 229?
1,769 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 563 deer, 365 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 Wright County Sherburne County Hennepin County DPA 219 DPA 223