Deer Permit Area 253: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 253 covers 987 square miles of Faribault, Martin and Blue Earth counties, around Blue Earth. Hunters registered 854 deer here in 2025, 587 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 9% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.2% of DPA 253 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (6,515 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 areasCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessDPA 253Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Faribault County, Martin County, Blue Earth County, Watonwan County and Waseca County |
|---|---|
| Size | 631,941 acres (987 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 854 (587 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,871 |
| Public land | 1.2% (7,746 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (6,068 acres inside DPA 253) |
| Walk-In Access | 1 site, 176 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Blue Earth, Winnebago, Wells, Amboy, Truman and Northrop |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 253?
The DNR registered 854 deer in DPA 253 in 2025: 587 adult bucks, 226 adult does and 41 fawns, about 0.9 deer for each of the 974 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,871 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 571 deer, about 31 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 585 hunters, 154 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 | 854 | 587 | 226 | 41 | 0.88 | 1,871 | 571 | 585 | 154 | 414 | 94 |
| 2024 | 785 | 544 | 190 | 51 | 0.81 | 1,903 | 546 | 565 | 127 | 396 | 77 |
| 2023 | 845 | 562 | 220 | 63 | 0.87 | 1,867 | 578 | 566 | 137 | 480 | 105 |
| 2022 | 762 | 559 | 160 | 43 | 0.78 | 1,849 | 521 | 538 | 126 | 453 | 92 |
| 2021 | 722 | 510 | 162 | 50 | 0.74 | 1,832 | 516 | 544 | 117 | 432 | 61 |
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 253 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 253?
DPA 253 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 253?
7,746 of DPA 253's 631,941 acres are public land open to the public (1.2%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 6,515 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 253 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 6,515 | 1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,041 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 111 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 79 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 7,746 | 1.2% |
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 253
DNR WMAs in DPA 253, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Walnut Lake WMA: 2,913 acres
- Stokman WMA: 514 acres
- East Chain WMA: 389 acres
- Center Creek WMA: 355 acres
- Lake Guckeen WMA: 341 acres
- Smith WMA: 337 acres
- Gruven WMA: 326 acres
- Rice Lake WMA: 198 acres
- Luedtke WMA: 162 acres
- George & Elizabeth Lang WMA: 134 acres
- Minowa WMA: 100 acres
- Lembke WMA: 93 acres
- Swag WMA: 74 acres
- Charlotte Hynes WMA: 72 acres
- Lane WMA: 60 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Faribault County Waterfowl Production Area (885 acres) and Blue Earth County Waterfowl Production Area (156 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 253
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 1 site in DPA 253, 176 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31: Martin WIA #715. DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 253?
Highways through it: I-90 (about 73 miles inside), US 169 (about 30 miles inside), MN 15 (about 28 miles inside), MN 22 (about 23 miles inside) and MN 109 (about 23 miles inside). Towns inside: Blue Earth, Winnebago, Wells, Minnesota Lake, Mapleton and Delavan. Nearby: Amboy (on the line), Truman (on the line), Northrop (on the line) and Fairmont (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 253?
DPA 253 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 230 | 549 | 2025 | 1% | |
| DPA 252 | 601 | 2025 | 1.3% | 7 |
| DPA 254 | 1,373 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| DPA 299 | 726 | 2025 | 1.9% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 253 in 2025?
854 deer were registered: 587 adult bucks, 226 adult does and 41 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 854, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 253?
The DNR lists DPA 253 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 253?
Yes. 7,746 acres, 1.2% 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 15 wildlife management areas here, the largest Walnut Lake WMA (2,913 acres). Walk-In Access adds 1 site (176 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 253?
1,871 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 571 deer, 433 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 Faribault County Martin County Blue Earth County Watonwan County Waseca County DPA 230 DPA 252 DPA 254 DPA 299