Deer Permit Area 258: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 258 covers 381 square miles of Becker and Hubbard counties, around Wolf Lake. Hunters registered 1,329 deer here in 2025, 868 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 22% from 2024. 15% of DPA 258 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (31,296 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 areasState parksCounty, city and regional landDPA 258Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Becker County and Hubbard County |
|---|---|
| Size | 243,648 acres (381 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,329 (868 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 4,013 |
| Public land | 15% (36,629 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (4,425 acres inside DPA 258) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Wolf Lake, Osage, Callaway, Detroit Lakes and Park Rapids |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 258?
The DNR registered 1,329 deer in DPA 258 in 2025: 868 adult bucks, 323 adult does and 138 fawns, about 3.9 deer for each of the 343 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 4,013 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,146 deer, about 29 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 632 hunters, 104 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 | 1,329 | 868 | 323 | 138 | 3.87 | 4,013 | 1,146 | 632 | 104 | 255 | 27 |
| 2024 | 1,093 | 807 | 205 | 81 | 3.19 | 4,003 | 909 | 653 | 101 | 277 | 21 |
| 2023 | 883 | 634 | 181 | 68 | 2.57 | 3,924 | 761 | 613 | 74 | 268 | 9 |
| 2022 | 1,193 | 625 | 405 | 163 | 3.48 | 4,166 | 1,021 | 560 | 60 | 322 | 59 |
| 2021 | 1,742 | 826 | 605 | 311 | 5.08 | 4,111 | 1,458 | 643 | 134 | 381 | 64 |
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 258 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 258?
DPA 258 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 |
| 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 258?
36,629 of DPA 258's 243,648 acres are public land open to the public (15%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 31,296 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 258 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 31,296 | 12.8% |
| State wildlife management areas | 4,733 | 1.9% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 564 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 30 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 6 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 36,629 | 15% |
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 258
DNR WMAs in DPA 258, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Hubbel Pond WMA: 3,352 acres
- Frank WMA: 615 acres
- Pickerel WMA: 321 acres
- Shelly Island WMA: 103 acres
- Stenseth WMA: 27 acres
- Schultz Lake WMA: 7 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Smoky Hills State Forest (14,915 acres), Two Inlets State Forest (11,426 acres) and Becker County Waterfowl Production Area (485 acres).
How do you get to DPA 258?
Highways through it: MN 34 (about 27 miles inside), MN 225 (about 9 miles inside), US 71 (about 8 miles inside), US 59 (about 6 miles inside) and MN 113 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Wolf Lake and Osage. Nearby: Callaway (on the line), Detroit Lakes (on the line), Park Rapids (2 miles) and Audubon (4 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 258?
DPA 258 touches 7 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 241 | 7,163 | 2025 | 1.8% | |
| DPA 251 | 103 | 2025 | 99.6% | |
| DPA 259 | 1,643 | 2025 | 24% | |
| DPA 287 | 85 | 2025 | 92.8% | |
| DPA 297 | 224 | 2025 | 9.2% | |
| DPA 298 | 779 | 2025 | 11.1% | |
| DPA 666 | 686 | 2025 | 7.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 258 in 2025?
1,329 deer were registered: 868 adult bucks, 323 adult does and 138 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,742, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 258?
The DNR lists DPA 258 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 258?
Yes. 36,629 acres, 15% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state forest and other DNR land. The DNR's map shows 6 wildlife management areas here, the largest Hubbel Pond WMA (3,352 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 258?
4,013 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,146 deer, 775 of them adult bucks.
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
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 Becker County Hubbard County DPA 241 DPA 251 DPA 259 DPA 287 DPA 297 DPA 298