Deer Permit Area 241: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 241 covers 1,047 square miles of Otter Tail, Wadena and Becker counties, around Park Rapids. Hunters registered 7,163 deer here in 2025, 3,509 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 9% from 2024. 1.8% of DPA 241 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (7,915 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 forestNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landDPA 241Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Otter Tail County, Wadena County, Becker County, Hubbard County and Todd County |
|---|---|
| Size | 670,097 acres (1,047 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 7,163 (3,509 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 13,759 |
| Public land | 1.8% (11,868 acres) |
| WMAs | 14 (2,413 acres inside DPA 241) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Park Rapids, Wadena, Staples, Verndale, Wolf Lake and New York Mills |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 241?
The DNR registered 7,163 deer in DPA 241 in 2025: 3,509 adult bucks, 2,596 adult does and 1,058 fawns, about 7.2 deer for each of the 996 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 13,759 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 5,751 deer, about 42 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 3,176 hunters, 704 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 | 7,163 | 3,509 | 2,596 | 1,058 | 7.19 | 13,759 | 5,751 | 3,176 | 704 | 1,413 | 329 |
| 2024 | 6,563 | 3,415 | 2,196 | 952 | 6.59 | 13,504 | 5,233 | 3,118 | 672 | 1,483 | 306 |
| 2023 | 6,052 | 2,725 | 2,343 | 984 | 6.08 | 12,901 | 4,930 | 3,197 | 565 | 1,669 | 270 |
| 2022 | 6,974 | 2,882 | 2,911 | 1,181 | 7.00 | 13,473 | 5,512 | 3,149 | 725 | 1,741 | 435 |
| 2021 | 8,070 | 3,717 | 3,103 | 1,250 | 8.10 | 13,746 | 6,325 | 3,320 | 782 | 1,791 | 503 |
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 241 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 241?
DPA 241 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 241?
11,868 of DPA 241's 670,097 acres are public land open to the public (1.8%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 7,915 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 241 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 7,915 | 1.2% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,079 | 0.5% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 645 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 216 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 13 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,868 | 1.8% |
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 241
DNR WMAs in DPA 241, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Bluff Creek WMA: 404 acres
- Menahga WMA: 353 acres
- Perham WMA: 314 acres
- Wood Eye WMA: 253 acres
- Hubbel Pond WMA: 162 acres
- Kitten Creek WMA: 156 acres
- Lowe WMA: 154 acres
- Sebeka WMA: 150 acres
- Red Eye WMA: 144 acres
- Rockwood WMA: 112 acres
- Butler WMA: 71 acres
- Wadena WMA: 56 acres
- Homestead WMA: 44 acres
- Windy Lake WMA: 40 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Huntersville State Forest (2,119 acres), Otter Tail County Waterfowl Production Area (466 acres) and Becker County Waterfowl Production Area (179 acres).
How do you get to DPA 241?
Highways through it: MN 87 (about 50 miles inside), US 10 (about 48 miles inside), US 71 (about 39 miles inside) and MN 34 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Park Rapids, Wadena, Staples, Menahga, Perham and Bluffton. Nearby: Verndale (on the line), Wolf Lake (on the line), New York Mills (on the line) and Detroit Lakes (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 241?
DPA 241 touches 7 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 214 | 4,781 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 239 | 3,595 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 240 | 5,068 | 2025 | 2.4% | |
| DPA 246 | 3,143 | 2025 | 13.1% | |
| DPA 258 | 1,329 | 2025 | 15% | |
| DPA 259 | 1,643 | 2025 | 24% | |
| DPA 666 | 686 | 2025 | 7.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 241 in 2025?
7,163 deer were registered: 3,509 adult bucks, 2,596 adult does and 1,058 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 8,070, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 241?
The DNR lists DPA 241 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 241?
Yes. 11,868 acres, 1.8% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state forest and other DNR land. The DNR's map shows 14 wildlife management areas here, the largest Bluff Creek WMA (404 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 241?
13,759 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 5,751 deer, 2,992 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 Wadena County Becker County Hubbard County Todd County DPA 214 DPA 239 DPA 240 DPA 246 DPA 258 DPA 259