Deer Permit Area 232: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 232 covers 381 square miles of Steele, Waseca and Rice counties, around Waseca. Hunters registered 745 deer here in 2025, 389 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is down 4% from 2024. 2.1% of DPA 232 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (4,018 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 232Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Steele County, Waseca County, Rice County and Le Sueur County |
|---|---|
| Size | 243,781 acres (381 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 745 (389 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,511 |
| Public land | 2.1% (5,179 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (3,981 acres inside DPA 232) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Waseca, Morristown, Ellendale, New Richland and Medford |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 232?
The DNR registered 745 deer in DPA 232 in 2025: 389 adult bucks, 272 adult does and 84 fawns, about 2.0 deer for each of the 377 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,511 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 486 deer, about 32 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 571 hunters, 152 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 | 745 | 389 | 272 | 84 | 1.98 | 1,511 | 486 | 571 | 152 | 313 | 80 |
| 2024 | 773 | 434 | 253 | 86 | 2.05 | 1,525 | 521 | 595 | 146 | 364 | 76 |
| 2023 | 805 | 424 | 281 | 100 | 2.14 | 1,533 | 555 | 573 | 137 | 394 | 81 |
| 2022 | 718 | 387 | 252 | 79 | 1.90 | 1,476 | 504 | 517 | 117 | 336 | 78 |
| 2021 | 643 | 332 | 222 | 89 | 1.71 | 1,408 | 459 | 450 | 103 | 324 | 58 |
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 232 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 232?
DPA 232 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 232?
5,179 of DPA 232's 243,781 acres are public land open to the public (2.1%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 4,018 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 232 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 4,018 | 1.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,045 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 116 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,179 | 2.1% |
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 232
DNR WMAs in DPA 232, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Moonan WMA: 995 acres
- Aurora WMA: 855 acres
- Somerset WMA: 440 acres
- Waseca WMA: 303 acres
- Findley WMA: 287 acres
- Swan WMA: 238 acres
- Straight River WMA: 198 acres
- Sakatah WMA: 157 acres
- Prairie Rose WMA: 118 acres
- Pogones Marsh WMA: 113 acres
- Oak Glen WMA: 83 acres
- Pawek WMA: 79 acres
- Teal Marsh WMA: 74 acres
- Chapa-kak-say-za WMA: 21 acres
- Little Fawn WMA: 20 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Steele County Waterfowl Production Area (743 acres) and Waseca County Waterfowl Production Area (302 acres).
How do you get to DPA 232?
Highways through it: I-35 (about 45 miles inside), US 14 (about 26 miles inside), MN 13 (about 15 miles inside), US 218 (about 12 miles inside) and MN 30 (about 11 miles inside). Towns inside: Waseca and Morristown. Nearby: Ellendale (on the line), New Richland (on the line), Medford (on the line) and Blooming Prairie (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 232?
DPA 232 touches 5 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 230 | 549 | 2025 | 1% | |
| DPA 233 | 652 | 2025 | 1% | |
| DPA 254 | 1,373 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| DPA 292 | 1,197 | 2025 | 2.8% | 1 |
| DPA 293 | 775 | 2025 | 0.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 232 in 2025?
745 deer were registered: 389 adult bucks, 272 adult does and 84 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 805, in 2023.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 232?
The DNR lists DPA 232 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 232?
Yes. 5,179 acres, 2.1% 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 15 wildlife management areas here, the largest Moonan WMA (995 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 232?
1,511 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 486 deer, 292 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 Steele County Waseca County Rice County Le Sueur County DPA 230 DPA 233 DPA 254 DPA 292 DPA 293