Deer Permit Area 239: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 239 covers 1,118 square miles of Otter Tail, Becker and Clay counties, around Fergus Falls. Hunters registered 3,595 deer here in 2025, 1,981 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 8% from 2024. 4% of DPA 239 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (14,548 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 areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessDPA 239Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Otter Tail County, Becker County, Clay County and Wilkin County |
|---|---|
| Size | 715,345 acres (1,118 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 3,595 (1,981 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 7,929 |
| Public land | 4% (28,845 acres) |
| WMAs | 10 (3,061 acres inside DPA 239) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes, Pelican Rapids, Audubon, Ottertail and Lake Park |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 239?
The DNR registered 3,595 deer in DPA 239 in 2025: 1,981 adult bucks, 1,120 adult does and 494 fawns, about 3.9 deer for each of the 919 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 7,929 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 2,915 deer, about 37 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,723 hunters, 334 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 | 3,595 | 1,981 | 1,120 | 494 | 3.91 | 7,929 | 2,915 | 1,723 | 334 | 938 | 172 |
| 2024 | 3,341 | 1,906 | 965 | 470 | 3.64 | 7,922 | 2,713 | 1,763 | 330 | 947 | 171 |
| 2023 | 3,185 | 1,620 | 1,088 | 477 | 3.47 | 7,687 | 2,615 | 1,679 | 262 | 1,084 | 159 |
| 2022 | 3,216 | 1,619 | 1,141 | 456 | 3.50 | 7,769 | 2,643 | 1,584 | 295 | 1,051 | 156 |
| 2021 | 3,868 | 2,067 | 1,239 | 562 | 4.21 | 7,919 | 3,132 | 1,644 | 345 | 1,039 | 192 |
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 239 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 239?
DPA 239 is a "Two-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 | Two-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 239?
28,845 of DPA 239's 715,345 acres are public land open to the public (4%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 14,548 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 239 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 14,548 | 2% |
| State parks | 8,090 | 1.1% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,824 | 0.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,973 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 354 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 56 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 28,845 | 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 239
DNR WMAs in DPA 239, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Dead Lake WMA: 896 acres
- Amor WMA: 720 acres
- Head Lake WMA: 421 acres
- Davies WMA: 390 acres
- Sonnenberg WMA: 239 acres
- Long Branch Creek WMA: 147 acres
- Bruce J. Schwartz WMA: 89 acres
- Norwegian WMA: 84 acres
- Lunde WMA: 50 acres
- Scambler WMA: 25 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Otter Tail County Waterfowl Production Area (8,442 acres), Clay County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (3,147 acres), Clay County Waterfowl Production Area Of Minnesota (3,142 acres), Becker County Waterfowl Production Area (2,213 acres), Wilkin County Waterfowl Production Area (483 acres) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (246 acres).
How do you get to DPA 239?
Highways through it: US 10 (about 63 miles inside), I-94 (about 51 miles inside), US 52 (about 51 miles inside), US 59 (about 50 miles inside) and MN 108 (about 41 miles inside). Towns inside: Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes, Pelican Rapids, Vergas, Battle Lake and Richville. Nearby: Audubon (on the line), Ottertail (on the line), Lake Park (on the line) and Rothsay (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 239?
DPA 239 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 213 | 6,423 | 2025 | 3.3% | 3 |
| DPA 240 | 5,068 | 2025 | 2.4% | |
| DPA 241 | 7,163 | 2025 | 1.8% | |
| DPA 269 | 464 | 2025 | 4.7% | 12 |
| DPA 270 | 330 | 2025 | 3.5% | 8 |
| DPA 666 | 686 | 2025 | 7.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 239 in 2025?
3,595 deer were registered: 1,981 adult bucks, 1,120 adult does and 494 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 3,868, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 239?
The DNR lists DPA 239 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 239?
Yes. 28,845 acres, 4% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas. The DNR's map shows 10 wildlife management areas here, the largest Dead Lake WMA (896 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 239?
7,929 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 2,915 deer, 1,684 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 Otter Tail County Becker County Clay County Wilkin County DPA 213 DPA 240 DPA 241 DPA 269 DPA 270