Deer Permit Area 252: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 252 covers 737 square miles of Martin, Watonwan and Jackson counties, around Fairmont. Hunters registered 601 deer here in 2025, 425 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 8% from 2024. 1.3% of DPA 252 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (5,538 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 areasCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessDPA 252Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Martin County, Watonwan County, Jackson County and Cottonwood County |
|---|---|
| Size | 471,488 acres (737 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 601 (425 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,327 |
| Public land | 1.3% (6,309 acres) |
| WMAs | 21 (5,394 acres inside DPA 252) |
| Walk-In Access | 7 sites, 246 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Fairmont, Welcome, Truman, Butterfield, Mountain Lake and St. James |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 252?
The DNR registered 601 deer in DPA 252 in 2025: 425 adult bucks, 150 adult does and 26 fawns, about 0.8 deer for each of the 715 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,327 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 444 deer, about 33 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 375 hunters, 83 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 | 601 | 425 | 150 | 26 | 0.84 | 1,327 | 444 | 375 | 83 | 205 | 55 |
| 2024 | 555 | 393 | 130 | 32 | 0.78 | 1,342 | 407 | 374 | 76 | 274 | 50 |
| 2023 | 607 | 388 | 180 | 39 | 0.85 | 1,290 | 445 | 392 | 88 | 287 | 50 |
| 2022 | 588 | 419 | 138 | 31 | 0.82 | 1,293 | 441 | 400 | 87 | 254 | 47 |
| 2021 | 549 | 375 | 134 | 40 | 0.77 | 1,343 | 416 | 381 | 74 | 256 | 41 |
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 252 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 252?
DPA 252 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 |
| 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 252?
6,309 of DPA 252's 471,488 acres are public land open to the public (1.3%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 5,538 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 252 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 5,538 | 1.2% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 545 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 226 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,309 | 1.3% |
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 252
DNR WMAs in DPA 252, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Perch Creek WMA: 1,285 acres
- Caron WMA: 954 acres
- Four Corners WMA: 612 acres
- Rooney Run WMA: 540 acres
- Krahmer WMA: 376 acres
- Seymour Lake WMA: 291 acres
- W. R. Taylor Memorial WMA: 218 acres
- Island WMA: 173 acres
- Ceylon WMA: 148 acres
- Fossum WMA: 139 acres
- Exceder WMA: 108 acres
- Des Belt WMA: 107 acres
- Lewisville WMA: 94 acres
- Willow Creek WMA: 69 acres
- Armbrust WMA: 66 acres
- Regehr WMA: 65 acres
- Sulem Lake WMA: 55 acres
- Fox Lake WMA: 35 acres
- Gleam WMA: 27 acres
- Rosendale WMA: 19 acres
- Turtle WMA: 13 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Martin County Waterfowl Production Area (545 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 252
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 7 sites in DPA 252, 246 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Martin WIA #913 (60 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 252?
Highways through it: I-90 (about 44 miles inside), MN 4 (about 39 miles inside), MN 60 (about 36 miles inside), MN 30 (about 18 miles inside) and MN 263 (about 11 miles inside). Towns inside: Fairmont, Welcome, Truman, Sherburn, Trimont and Ceylon. Nearby: Butterfield (on the line), Mountain Lake (on the line), St. James (on the line) and Granada (4 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 252?
DPA 252 touches 4 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 250 | 505 | 2025 | 3% | 1 |
| DPA 253 | 854 | 2025 | 1.2% | 1 |
| DPA 296 | 607 | 2025 | 1.4% | 8 |
| DPA 299 | 726 | 2025 | 1.9% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 252 in 2025?
601 deer were registered: 425 adult bucks, 150 adult does and 26 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 607, in 2023.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 252?
The DNR lists DPA 252 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 252?
Yes. 6,309 acres, 1.3% 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 21 wildlife management areas here, the largest Perch Creek WMA (1,285 acres). Walk-In Access adds 7 sites (246 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 252?
1,327 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 444 deer, 332 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 Martin County Watonwan County Jackson County Cottonwood County DPA 250 DPA 253 DPA 296 DPA 299