Deer Permit Area 256: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 256 covers 654 square miles of Polk, Pennington and Red Lake counties, around Crookston. Hunters registered 1,042 deer here in 2025, 633 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 1% from 2024. 7.5% of DPA 256 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (14,134 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 landDPA 256Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Polk County, Pennington County, Red Lake County and Marshall County |
|---|---|
| Size | 418,722 acres (654 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,042 (633 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,217 |
| Public land | 7.5% (31,347 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (13,923 acres inside DPA 256) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Crookston, Warren, St. Hilaire, Red Lake Falls and Thief River Falls |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 256?
The DNR registered 1,042 deer in DPA 256 in 2025: 633 adult bucks, 311 adult does and 98 fawns, about 1.6 deer for each of the 654 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,217 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 864 deer, about 39 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 351 hunters, 62 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 | 1,042 | 633 | 311 | 98 | 1.59 | 2,217 | 864 | 351 | 62 | 257 | 54 |
| 2024 | 1,033 | 631 | 286 | 116 | 1.58 | 2,186 | 848 | 339 | 80 | 243 | 52 |
| 2023 | 867 | 458 | 290 | 119 | 1.33 | 2,077 | 707 | 345 | 54 | 279 | 55 |
| 2022 | 1,012 | 501 | 360 | 151 | 1.55 | 2,170 | 807 | 314 | 57 | 261 | 69 |
| 2021 | 1,069 | 595 | 367 | 107 | 1.63 | 2,097 | 871 | 326 | 60 | 247 | 57 |
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 256 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 256?
DPA 256 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 256?
31,347 of DPA 256's 418,722 acres are public land open to the public (7.5%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 14,134 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 256 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 14,134 | 3.4% |
| State wildlife management areas | 13,938 | 3.3% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 3,210 | 0.8% |
| County, city and regional land | 65 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 31,347 | 7.5% |
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 256
DNR WMAs in DPA 256, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Pembina WMA: 6,671 acres
- Burnham WMA: 990 acres
- Higinbotham WMA: 984 acres
- Thorson Prairie WMA: 978 acres
- Dugdale WMA: 885 acres
- Tympanuchus WMA: 848 acres
- Trail WMA: 609 acres
- Moran WMA: 426 acres
- Huot WMA: 424 acres
- Kertsonville WMA: 371 acres
- Belgium WMA: 190 acres
- Shypoke WMA: 161 acres
- Stipa WMA: 161 acres
- Godfrey WMA: 145 acres
- Onstad WMA: 80 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (13,791 acres) and Polk County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (377 acres).
How do you get to DPA 256?
Highways through it: US 2 (about 19 miles inside), MN 1 (about 17 miles inside), US 75 (about 16 miles inside), MN 32 (about 13 miles inside) and MN 102 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: Crookston and Warren. Nearby: St. Hilaire (on the line), Red Lake Falls (on the line), Thief River Falls (on the line) and Fertile (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 256?
DPA 256 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 209 | 1,486 | 2025 | 1.2% | |
| DPA 257 | 979 | 2025 | 8.4% | |
| DPA 260 | 421 | 2025 | 0.1% | |
| DPA 264 | 1,995 | 2025 | 7% | |
| DPA 265 | 1,177 | 2025 | 3.6% | |
| DPA 661 | 437 | 2025 | 0.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 256 in 2025?
1,042 deer were registered: 633 adult bucks, 311 adult does and 98 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,069, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 256?
The DNR lists DPA 256 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 256?
Yes. 31,347 acres, 7.5% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas. The DNR's map shows 15 wildlife management areas here, the largest Pembina WMA (6,671 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 256?
2,217 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 864 deer, 543 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 Polk County Pennington County Red Lake County Marshall County DPA 209 DPA 257 DPA 260 DPA 264 DPA 265 DPA 661