Deer Permit Area 249: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 249 covers 723 square miles of Crow Wing, Morrison and Mille Lacs counties, around Harding. Hunters registered 3,126 deer here in 2025, 1,579 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 13% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 4.9% of DPA 249 is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks (11,647 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 landLand trusts and other open landDPA 249Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Crow Wing County, Morrison County, Mille Lacs County and Aitkin County |
|---|---|
| Size | 462,956 acres (723 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 3,126 (1,579 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 5,811 |
| Public land | 4.9% (22,705 acres) |
| WMAs | 12 (2,388 acres inside DPA 249) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Harding, Fort Ripley, Vineland, Onamia, Lastrup and Garrison |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 249?
The DNR registered 3,126 deer in DPA 249 in 2025: 1,579 adult bucks, 1,051 adult does and 496 fawns, about 6.3 deer for each of the 496 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 5,811 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 2,525 deer, about 43 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,247 hunters, 341 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 | 3,126 | 1,579 | 1,051 | 496 | 6.30 | 5,811 | 2,525 | 1,247 | 341 | 404 | 133 |
| 2024 | 2,772 | 1,516 | 821 | 435 | 5.59 | 5,814 | 2,259 | 1,290 | 286 | 458 | 110 |
| 2023 | 2,539 | 1,198 | 894 | 447 | 5.12 | 5,550 | 2,179 | 1,270 | 215 | 504 | 68 |
| 2022 | 2,663 | 1,289 | 917 | 457 | 5.37 | 5,737 | 2,236 | 1,227 | 227 | 487 | 102 |
| 2021 | 2,994 | 1,429 | 1,058 | 507 | 6.04 | 5,795 | 2,483 | 1,239 | 256 | 497 | 123 |
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 249 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 249?
DPA 249 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 249?
22,705 of DPA 249's 462,956 acres are public land open to the public (4.9%). The biggest share is state parks: 11,647 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 249 |
|---|---|---|
| State parks | 11,647 | 2.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 8,330 | 1.8% |
| State wildlife management areas | 2,718 | 0.6% |
| County, city and regional land | 9 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 22,705 | 4.9% |
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 249
DNR WMAs in DPA 249, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Little Nokasippi River WMA: 481 acres
- Hesitation WMA: 370 acres
- Richardson WMA: 325 acres
- Harold & Marie Deutsch WMA: 314 acres
- Poor Farm WMA: 312 acres
- Ray Cook WMA: 252 acres
- Roosevelt WMA: 80 acres
- Onamia Lake WMA: 77 acres
- White Fish Lake WMA: 58 acres
- Telef Paulson WMA: 40 acres
- Round-Rice Bed WMA: 40 acres
- Wittiker WMA: 39 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Rum River State Forest (2,832 acres).
How do you get to DPA 249?
Highways through it: MN 25 (about 37 miles inside), MN 371 (about 34 miles inside), US 169 (about 19 miles inside), MN 27 (about 9 miles inside) and MN 18 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Harding, Fort Ripley and Vineland. Nearby: Onamia (on the line), Lastrup (on the line), Garrison (on the line) and Wahkon (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 249?
DPA 249 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 155 | 1,134 | 2025 | 21.5% | |
| DPA 157 | 4,606 | 2025 | 6.8% | |
| DPA 221 | 4,908 | 2025 | 1.8% | |
| DPA 222 | 3,420 | 2025 | 3.6% | |
| DPA 248 | 1,109 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 604 | 3,509 | 2025 | 4.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 249 in 2025?
3,126 deer were registered: 1,579 adult bucks, 1,051 adult does and 496 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 3,126, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 249?
The DNR lists DPA 249 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 249?
Yes. 22,705 acres, 4.9% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state parks. The DNR's map shows 12 wildlife management areas here, the largest Little Nokasippi River WMA (481 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 249?
5,811 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 2,525 deer, 1,342 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 Crow Wing County Morrison County Mille Lacs County Aitkin County DPA 155 DPA 157 DPA 221 DPA 222 DPA 248 DPA 604