Deer Permit Area 237: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 237 covers 615 square miles of Nobles and Murray counties, around Worthington. Hunters registered 301 deer here in 2025, 239 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. 2% of DPA 237 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (7,148 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 areasCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessDPA 237Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Nobles County and Murray County |
|---|---|
| Size | 393,296 acres (615 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 | 301 (239 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 938 |
| Public land | 2% (8,021 acres) |
| WMAs | 31 (7,125 acres inside DPA 237) |
| Walk-In Access | 2 sites, 184 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Worthington, Adrian, Fulda, Ellsworth, Brewster and Round Lake |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 237?
The DNR registered 301 deer in DPA 237 in 2025: 239 adult bucks, 53 adult does and 9 fawns, about 0.5 deer for each of the 608 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 938 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 214 deer, about 23 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 289 hunters, 54 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 | 301 | 239 | 53 | 9 | 0.50 | 938 | 214 | 289 | 54 | 191 | 18 |
| 2024 | 332 | 277 | 36 | 19 | 0.55 | 968 | 233 | 277 | 57 | 202 | 23 |
| 2023 | 359 | 255 | 88 | 16 | 0.59 | 985 | 277 | 307 | 38 | 201 | 26 |
| 2022 | 364 | 271 | 83 | 10 | 0.60 | 1,066 | 270 | 313 | 39 | 235 | 41 |
| 2021 | 409 | 304 | 82 | 23 | 0.67 | 1,044 | 315 | 321 | 50 | 251 | 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 237 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 237?
DPA 237 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 237?
8,021 of DPA 237's 393,296 acres are public land open to the public (2%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 7,148 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 237 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 7,148 | 1.8% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 745 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 109 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 19 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,021 | 2% |
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 237
DNR WMAs in DPA 237, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Herlein-Boote WMA: 741 acres
- Swessinger WMA: 713 acres
- Lone Tree WMA: 564 acres
- Fenmont WMA: 517 acres
- Wachter WMA: 473 acres
- West Graham WMA: 461 acres
- Ransom Ridge WMA: 382 acres
- Lake Bella WMA: 359 acres
- Peterson WMA: 325 acres
- County Line WMA: 322 acres
- Lambert Prairie WMA: 306 acres
- Bigelow WMA: 234 acres
- Schweigert WMA: 219 acres
- Groth WMA: 171 acres
- Windy Acres WMA: 160 acres
- Stoderl Slough WMA: 160 acres
- Fulda WMA: 157 acres
- James Willey WMA: 138 acres
- John Erickson WMA: 121 acres
- Fred Hoffenkamp WMA: 87 acres
- Van Drie Ridge WMA: 84 acres
- Bluebird Prairie WMA: 78 acres
- Scheuring WMA: 58 acres
- Kinbrae WMA: 58 acres
- Einck WMA: 50 acres
- Stable Banks WMA: 45 acres
- Cleanwater WMA: 38 acres
- Pheasant Run WMA: 31 acres
- Lambert Heikes WMA: 31 acres
- Fury WMA: 26 acres
- Dewald WMA: 16 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Nobles County Waterfowl Production Area (746 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 237
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 2 sites in DPA 237, 184 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Nobles WIA #934 (130 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 237?
Highways through it: I-90 (about 48 miles inside), MN 60 (about 39 miles inside), US 59 (about 36 miles inside), MN 91 (about 20 miles inside) and MN 264 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Worthington, Adrian, Fulda, Wilmont, Bigelow and Rushmore. Nearby: Ellsworth (on the line), Brewster (on the line), Round Lake (on the line) and Kinbrae (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 237?
DPA 237 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 234 | 288 | 2025 | 1% | 9 |
| DPA 238 | 114 | 2025 | 12.4% | |
| DPA 250 | 505 | 2025 | 3% | 1 |
| DPA 294 | 472 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
| DPA 295 | 904 | 2025 | 3.2% | 10 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 237 in 2025?
301 deer were registered: 239 adult bucks, 53 adult does and 9 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 409, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 237?
The DNR lists DPA 237 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 237?
Yes. 8,021 acres, 2% 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 31 wildlife management areas here, the largest Herlein-Boote WMA (741 acres). Walk-In Access adds 2 sites (184 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 237?
938 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 214 deer, 180 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 Nobles County Murray County DPA 234 DPA 238 DPA 250 DPA 294 DPA 295