Deer Permit Area 233: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 233 covers 386 square miles of Dodge and Steele counties, around Owatonna. Hunters registered 652 deer here in 2025, 328 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 5% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1% of DPA 233 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (999 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 233Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Dodge County and Steele County |
|---|---|
| Size | 247,259 acres (386 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 652 (328 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 986 |
| Public land | 1% (2,491 acres) |
| WMAs | 11 (989 acres inside DPA 233) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Owatonna, Kasson, Dodge Center, Hayfield, Blooming Prairie and Mantorville |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 233?
The DNR registered 652 deer in DPA 233 in 2025: 328 adult bucks, 263 adult does and 61 fawns, about 1.7 deer for each of the 381 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 986 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 361 deer, about 37 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 557 hunters, 194 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 | 652 | 328 | 263 | 61 | 1.71 | 986 | 361 | 557 | 194 | 242 | 68 |
| 2024 | 620 | 337 | 220 | 63 | 1.63 | 1,008 | 371 | 535 | 176 | 237 | 51 |
| 2023 | 598 | 310 | 224 | 64 | 1.57 | 868 | 352 | 515 | 167 | 267 | 60 |
| 2022 | 649 | 323 | 248 | 78 | 1.70 | 894 | 365 | 456 | 155 | 272 | 115 |
| 2021 | 602 | 320 | 211 | 71 | 1.58 | 920 | 340 | 455 | 160 | 255 | 80 |
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 233 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 233?
DPA 233 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 233?
2,491 of DPA 233's 247,259 acres are public land open to the public (1%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 999 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 233 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 999 | 0.4% |
| State parks | 782 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 513 | 0.2% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 139 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 58 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,491 | 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 233
DNR WMAs in DPA 233, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Naylor WMA: 307 acres
- Pheasants Forever WMA: 297 acres
- Bud Jensen WMA: 102 acres
- Vernon WMA: 84 acres
- Aurora WMA: 41 acres
- Marsh Wren WMA: 40 acres
- Vorce WMA: 40 acres
- McMartin WMA: 38 acres
- Teapail WMA: 15 acres
- Schletty WMA: 14 acres
- Wasioja WMA: 11 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Kaplans Woods Park (157 acres) and Steele County Waterfowl Production Area (139 acres).
How do you get to DPA 233?
Highways through it: US 14 (about 50 miles inside), MN 56 (about 23 miles inside), US 218 (about 9 miles inside), MN 30 (about 5 miles inside) and I-35 (about 2 miles inside). Towns inside: Owatonna, Kasson, Dodge Center, Medford, Claremont and West Concord. Nearby: Hayfield (on the line), Blooming Prairie (on the line), Mantorville (on the line) and Byron (5 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 233?
DPA 233 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 254 | 1,373 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| DPA 255 | 704 | 2025 | 0.8% | |
| DPA 293 | 775 | 2025 | 0.4% | |
| DPA 643 | 3,469 | 2025 | 1.3% | |
| DPA 655 | 451 | 2025 | 1.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 233 in 2025?
652 deer were registered: 328 adult bucks, 263 adult does and 61 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 652, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 233?
The DNR lists DPA 233 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 233?
Yes. 2,491 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 11 wildlife management areas here, the largest Naylor WMA (307 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 233?
986 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 361 deer, 211 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 Dodge County Steele County DPA 232 DPA 254 DPA 255 DPA 293 DPA 643 DPA 655