Deer Permit Area 257: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 257 covers 426 square miles of Polk, Red Lake and Pennington counties, around Thief River Falls. Hunters registered 979 deer here in 2025, 546 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 5% from 2024. 8.4% of DPA 257 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (15,848 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 257Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Polk County, Red Lake County and Pennington County |
|---|---|
| Size | 272,400 acres (426 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 979 (546 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,893 |
| Public land | 8.4% (22,848 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (6,766 acres inside DPA 257) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Thief River Falls, Plummer, Red Lake Falls, Winger, Fertile and McIntosh |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 257?
The DNR registered 979 deer in DPA 257 in 2025: 546 adult bucks, 333 adult does and 100 fawns, about 2.4 deer for each of the 412 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,893 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 811 deer, about 43 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 289 hunters, 63 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 | 979 | 546 | 333 | 100 | 2.38 | 1,893 | 811 | 289 | 63 | 212 | 45 |
| 2024 | 928 | 520 | 288 | 120 | 2.25 | 1,886 | 777 | 305 | 65 | 209 | 44 |
| 2023 | 872 | 440 | 329 | 103 | 2.12 | 1,838 | 692 | 301 | 87 | 228 | 57 |
| 2022 | 891 | 445 | 337 | 109 | 2.16 | 1,810 | 704 | 253 | 76 | 215 | 58 |
| 2021 | 1,015 | 544 | 353 | 118 | 2.46 | 1,847 | 820 | 275 | 68 | 201 | 60 |
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 257 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 257?
DPA 257 is a "Three-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 | Three-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 257?
22,848 of DPA 257's 272,400 acres are public land open to the public (8.4%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 15,848 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 257 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 15,848 | 5.8% |
| State wildlife management areas | 6,878 | 2.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 79 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 43 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 22,848 | 8.4% |
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 257
DNR WMAs in DPA 257, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mentor Prairie WMA: 2,183 acres
- Maple Meadows WMA: 1,393 acres
- Erskine WMA: 1,220 acres
- Tilden WMA: 426 acres
- Marcoux WMA: 380 acres
- Dorr WMA: 378 acres
- Kakaik WMA: 204 acres
- Bee Lake WMA: 121 acres
- Gervais WMA: 83 acres
- Rindahl WMA: 82 acres
- Woodside WMA: 79 acres
- Dugdale WMA: 74 acres
- Oak Ridge Marsh WMA: 56 acres
- Jacksnipe WMA: 50 acres
- Dalea WMA: 37 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (9,472 acres), Polk County Waterfowl Production Area (4,329 acres) and Rydell National Wildlife Refuge (2,042 acres).
How do you get to DPA 257?
Highways through it: MN 32 (about 28 miles inside), US 2 (about 21 miles inside), US 59 (about 21 miles inside) and MN 92 (about 13 miles inside). Towns inside: Thief River Falls, Plummer, Red Lake Falls, Mentor, Brooks and St. Hilaire. Nearby: Winger (on the line), Fertile (on the line), McIntosh (5 miles) and Bejou (6 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 257?
DPA 257 touches 5 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 210 | 1,487 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 256 | 1,042 | 2025 | 7.5% | |
| DPA 264 | 1,995 | 2025 | 7% | |
| DPA 265 | 1,177 | 2025 | 3.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 257 in 2025?
979 deer were registered: 546 adult bucks, 333 adult does and 100 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,015, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 257?
The DNR lists DPA 257 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 257?
Yes. 22,848 acres, 8.4% 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 Mentor Prairie WMA (2,183 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 257?
1,893 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 811 deer, 473 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 Red Lake County Pennington County DPA 209 DPA 210 DPA 256 DPA 264 DPA 265