Deer Permit Area 234: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 234 covers 636 square miles of Rock, Nobles and Pipestone counties, around Luverne. Hunters registered 288 deer here in 2025, 218 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 12% from 2024. 1% of DPA 234 is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks (1,587 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessDPA 234Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Rock County, Nobles County, Pipestone County and Murray County |
|---|---|
| Size | 406,873 acres (636 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (100) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 288 (218 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 769 |
| Public land | 1% (4,221 acres) |
| WMAs | 12 (1,371 acres inside DPA 234) |
| Walk-In Access | 9 sites, 812 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Luverne, Hardwick, Edgerton, Adrian, Trosky and Chandler |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 234?
The DNR registered 288 deer in DPA 234 in 2025: 218 adult bucks, 57 adult does and 13 fawns, about 0.5 deer for each of the 636 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 769 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 222 deer, about 29 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 281 hunters, 39 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 | 288 | 218 | 57 | 13 | 0.45 | 769 | 222 | 281 | 39 | 125 | 13 |
| 2024 | 257 | 205 | 43 | 9 | 0.40 | 789 | 177 | 279 | 45 | 143 | 23 |
| 2023 | 283 | 194 | 76 | 13 | 0.44 | 805 | 212 | 296 | 44 | 151 | 18 |
| 2022 | 326 | 226 | 78 | 22 | 0.51 | 797 | 230 | 247 | 55 | 161 | 33 |
| 2021 | 376 | 278 | 71 | 27 | 0.59 | 792 | 302 | 262 | 44 | 124 | 24 |
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 234 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 234?
DPA 234 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (100)" 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 | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (100) |
| 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 |
| Disease management | CWD surveillance zone |
| CWD testing | Mandatory CWD testing Nov. 7-8; Voluntary CWD testing remainder of all seasons |
Source: Minnesota DNR deer permit areas, 2026 seasons (July 2026 - June 2027). Special CWD related regulations in this area. See mndnr.gov/cwd for details. Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 234?
4,221 of DPA 234's 406,873 acres are public land open to the public (1%). The biggest share is state parks: 1,587 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 234 |
|---|---|---|
| State parks | 1,587 | 0.4% |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,421 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,153 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 60 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,221 | 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 234
DNR WMAs in DPA 234, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Rock River WMA: 413 acres
- Russ Blanford WMA: 154 acres
- Springwater WMA: 152 acres
- Rooster Ridge WMA: 93 acres
- P.F. Mulder WMA: 88 acres
- Poplar Creek WMA: 87 acres
- Sherwood WMA: 82 acres
- Champepedan WMA: 81 acres
- Smiley Barn WMA: 81 acres
- Big John's WMA: 65 acres
- Little Beaver Creek WMA: 55 acres
- Stephen WMA: 20 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (1,153 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 234
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 9 sites in DPA 234, 812 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Rock WIA #857 (171 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 234?
Highways through it: I-90 (about 53 miles inside), US 75 (about 26 miles inside), MN 23 (about 17 miles inside), MN 91 (about 11 miles inside) and MN 270 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Luverne, Hardwick, Edgerton, Kenneth, Jasper and Magnolia. Nearby: Adrian (on the line), Trosky (on the line), Chandler (4 miles) and Ihlen (5 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 234?
DPA 234 touches 3 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 237 | 301 | 2025 | 2% | 2 |
| DPA 294 | 472 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
| DPA 295 | 904 | 2025 | 3.2% | 10 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 234 in 2025?
288 deer were registered: 218 adult bucks, 57 adult does and 13 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 376, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 234?
The DNR lists DPA 234 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (100)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 234?
Yes. 4,221 acres, 1% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state parks. The DNR's map shows 12 wildlife management areas here, the largest Rock River WMA (413 acres). Walk-In Access adds 9 sites (812 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 234?
769 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 222 deer, 181 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 Rock County Nobles County Pipestone County Murray County DPA 237 DPA 294 DPA 295