Deer Permit Area 246: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 246 covers 802 square miles of Cass, Wadena and Hubbard counties, around Nimrod. Hunters registered 3,143 deer here in 2025, 2,330 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 20% from 2024. 13.1% of DPA 246 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (49,217 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 landOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landDPA 246Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Cass County, Wadena County, Hubbard County and Todd County |
|---|---|
| Size | 513,395 acres (802 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 3,143 (2,330 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 9,383 |
| Public land | 13.1% (67,495 acres) |
| WMAs | 11 (17,624 acres inside DPA 246) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Nimrod, Backus, Pillager and Motley |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 246?
The DNR registered 3,143 deer in DPA 246 in 2025: 2,330 adult bucks, 591 adult does and 222 fawns, about 4.0 deer for each of the 784 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 9,383 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 2,678 deer, about 29 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,482 hunters, 236 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 | 3,143 | 2,330 | 591 | 222 | 4.01 | 9,383 | 2,678 | 1,482 | 236 | 521 | 56 |
| 2024 | 2,624 | 2,044 | 406 | 174 | 3.35 | 9,429 | 2,232 | 1,473 | 201 | 548 | 49 |
| 2023 | 2,394 | 1,621 | 557 | 216 | 3.05 | 9,372 | 2,076 | 1,418 | 156 | 618 | 54 |
| 2022 | 2,922 | 1,523 | 983 | 416 | 3.73 | 9,857 | 2,525 | 1,249 | 142 | 698 | 130 |
| 2021 | 3,610 | 2,013 | 1,138 | 459 | 4.60 | 9,871 | 3,152 | 1,345 | 152 | 683 | 112 |
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 246 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 246?
DPA 246 is a "One-deer limit: either sex" 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: either sex |
| 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 246?
67,495 of DPA 246's 513,395 acres are public land open to the public (13.1%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 49,217 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 246 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 49,217 | 9.6% |
| State wildlife management areas | 18,278 | 3.6% |
| All public land open to the public | 67,495 | 13.1% |
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 246
DNR WMAs in DPA 246, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Meadow Brook WMA: 5,752 acres
- Crow Wing Chain WMA: 3,330 acres
- Burgen Lake Prairie WMA: 2,322 acres
- Nuthatch WMA: 2,167 acres
- Yaeger Lake WMA: 1,148 acres
- Dry Sand WMA: 800 acres
- Crow Wing River Corridor WMA: 750 acres
- Huntersville WMA: 521 acres
- Strike WMA: 300 acres
- North Germany WMA: 278 acres
- Farnham Lake WMA: 256 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Huntersville State Forest (12,916 acres), Foot Hills State Forest (12,216 acres), Pillsbury State Forest (8,946 acres), Lyons State Forest (6,508 acres) and Badoura State Forest (785 acres).
How do you get to DPA 246?
Highways through it: MN 64 (about 38 miles inside), MN 87 (about 20 miles inside), MN 210 (about 13 miles inside) and US 10 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Nimrod. Nearby: Backus (on the line), Pillager (on the line), Motley (on the line) and Pine River (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 246?
DPA 246 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 172 | 1,687 | 2025 | 29.8% | |
| DPA 214 | 4,781 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 241 | 7,163 | 2025 | 1.8% | |
| DPA 248 | 1,109 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 259 | 1,643 | 2025 | 24% | |
| DPA 604 | 3,509 | 2025 | 4.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 246 in 2025?
3,143 deer were registered: 2,330 adult bucks, 591 adult does and 222 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 3,610, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 246?
The DNR lists DPA 246 as "One-deer limit: either sex" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 246?
Yes. 67,495 acres, 13.1% 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 11 wildlife management areas here, the largest Meadow Brook WMA (5,752 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 246?
9,383 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 2,678 deer, 2,055 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 Cass County Wadena County Hubbard County Todd County DPA 172 DPA 214 DPA 241 DPA 248 DPA 259 DPA 604