Deer Permit Area 230: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 230 covers 466 square miles of Waseca, Blue Earth and Le Sueur counties, around Eagle Lake. Hunters registered 549 deer here in 2025, 318 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is down 9% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 1% of DPA 230 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (1,798 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 230Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Waseca County, Blue Earth County and Le Sueur County |
|---|---|
| Size | 298,436 acres (466 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 549 (318 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,367 |
| Public land | 1% (2,842 acres) |
| WMAs | 14 (1,774 acres inside DPA 230) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Eagle Lake, Janesville, St. Clair, Waseca, Mapleton and Madison Lake |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 230?
The DNR registered 549 deer in DPA 230 in 2025: 318 adult bucks, 180 adult does and 51 fawns, about 1.2 deer for each of the 452 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,367 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 389 deer, about 28 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 454 hunters, 97 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 | 549 | 318 | 180 | 51 | 1.21 | 1,367 | 389 | 454 | 97 | 219 | 54 |
| 2024 | 604 | 357 | 189 | 58 | 1.34 | 1,378 | 448 | 462 | 106 | 248 | 39 |
| 2023 | 606 | 326 | 194 | 86 | 1.34 | 1,368 | 434 | 436 | 94 | 276 | 56 |
| 2022 | 654 | 339 | 234 | 81 | 1.45 | 1,425 | 467 | 442 | 103 | 285 | 54 |
| 2021 | 651 | 334 | 211 | 106 | 1.44 | 1,459 | 478 | 478 | 87 | 277 | 47 |
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 230 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 230?
DPA 230 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 |
| 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 230?
2,842 of DPA 230's 298,436 acres are public land open to the public (1%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 1,798 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 230 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,798 | 0.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 913 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 131 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,842 | 1% |
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 230
DNR WMAs in DPA 230, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Lost Marsh WMA: 329 acres
- Pick WMA: 199 acres
- Linde WMA: 193 acres
- Born WMA: 185 acres
- Quade WMA: 162 acres
- Hobza WMA: 158 acres
- Mueller WMA: 121 acres
- Senn-Rich WMA: 102 acres
- Latourelle WMA: 83 acres
- Kanne WMA: 78 acres
- Willard and Lois Manthey WMA: 55 acres
- Lundquist WMA: 42 acres
- Duckhaven WMA: 40 acres
- Thompson Slough WMA: 27 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Blue Earth County Waterfowl Production Area (913 acres).
How do you get to DPA 230?
Highways through it: US 14 (about 52 miles inside), MN 83 (about 24 miles inside), MN 60 (about 19 miles inside), MN 22 (about 14 miles inside) and MN 13 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: Eagle Lake, Janesville, St. Clair, New Richland, Waldorf and Pemberton. Nearby: Waseca (on the line), Mapleton (on the line), Madison Lake (on the line) and Elysian (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 230?
DPA 230 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 232 | 745 | 2025 | 2.1% | |
| DPA 253 | 854 | 2025 | 1.2% | 1 |
| DPA 254 | 1,373 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| DPA 291 | 1,896 | 2025 | 2% | 2 |
| DPA 292 | 1,197 | 2025 | 2.8% | 1 |
| DPA 299 | 726 | 2025 | 1.9% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 230 in 2025?
549 deer were registered: 318 adult bucks, 180 adult does and 51 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 654, in 2022.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 230?
The DNR lists DPA 230 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 230?
Yes. 2,842 acres, 1% 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 14 wildlife management areas here, the largest Lost Marsh WMA (329 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 230?
1,367 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 389 deer, 243 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 Waseca County Blue Earth County Le Sueur County DPA 232 DPA 253 DPA 254 DPA 291 DPA 292 DPA 299