Deer Permit Area 238: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 238 covers 98 square miles of Cottonwood, Murray and Jackson counties, around Kinbrae. Hunters registered 114 deer here in 2025, 79 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 10% from 2024. 12.4% of DPA 238 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (6,957 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 areasDPA 238Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Cottonwood County, Murray County, Jackson County and Nobles County |
|---|---|
| Size | 62,499 acres (98 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 114 (79 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 279 |
| Public land | 12.4% (7,747 acres) |
| WMAs | 8 (6,897 acres inside DPA 238) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Kinbrae, Dundee, Heron Lake, Fulda and Avoca |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 238?
The DNR registered 114 deer in DPA 238 in 2025: 79 adult bucks, 28 adult does and 7 fawns, about 1.2 deer for each of the 95 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 279 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 87 deer, about 31 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 67 hunters, 15 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 | 114 | 79 | 28 | 7 | 1.20 | 279 | 87 | 67 | 15 | 47 | 9 |
| 2024 | 104 | 77 | 19 | 8 | 1.09 | 272 | 79 | 86 | 17 | 53 | 6 |
| 2023 | 116 | 84 | 26 | 6 | 1.22 | 267 | 87 | 90 | 16 | 68 | 10 |
| 2022 | 112 | 74 | 29 | 9 | 1.18 | 280 | 80 | 84 | 17 | 62 | 10 |
| 2021 | 122 | 90 | 25 | 7 | 1.28 | 298 | 90 | 72 | 19 | 56 | 7 |
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 238 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 238?
DPA 238 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50)" 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 (50) |
| 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 238?
7,747 of DPA 238's 62,499 acres are public land open to the public (12.4%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 6,957 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 238 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 6,957 | 11.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 790 | 1.3% |
| All public land open to the public | 7,747 | 12.4% |
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 238
DNR WMAs in DPA 238, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Talcot Lake WMA: 5,319 acres
- Expandere WMA: 1,011 acres
- Cotton-Jack WMA: 254 acres
- Winkler WMA: 119 acres
- Eagle Lake WMA: 52 acres
- Kinbrae WMA: 50 acres
- Voit WMA: 47 acres
- West Graham WMA: 45 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Murray County Waterfowl Production Area (473 acres) and Cottonwood County Waterfowl Production Area (317 acres).
How do you get to DPA 238?
Highways through it: MN 62 (about 11 miles inside). Towns inside: Kinbrae and Dundee. Nearby: Heron Lake (on the line), Fulda (3 miles), Avoca (5 miles) and Okabena (6 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 238?
DPA 238 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 250 | 505 | 2025 | 3% | 1 |
| DPA 295 | 904 | 2025 | 3.2% | 10 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 238 in 2025?
114 deer were registered: 79 adult bucks, 28 adult does and 7 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 122, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 238?
The DNR lists DPA 238 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (50)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 238?
Yes. 7,747 acres, 12.4% 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 8 wildlife management areas here, the largest Talcot Lake WMA (5,319 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 238?
279 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 87 deer, 63 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 Cottonwood County Murray County Jackson County Nobles County DPA 237 DPA 250 DPA 295