Deer Permit Area 260: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 260 covers 1,057 square miles of Marshall and Kittson counties, around Hallock. Hunters registered 421 deer here in 2025, 322 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is about the same as 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 0.1% of DPA 260 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (807 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 parksDPA 260Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Marshall County and Kittson County |
|---|---|
| Size | 676,490 acres (1,057 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 421 (322 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,100 |
| Public land | 0.1% (807 acres) |
| WMAs | 2 (692 acres inside DPA 260) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Hallock, Argyle, St. Vincent, Lancaster, Warren and Alvarado |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 260?
The DNR registered 421 deer in DPA 260 in 2025: 322 adult bucks, 65 adult does and 34 fawns, about 0.4 deer for each of the 1,055 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,100 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 330 deer, about 30 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 173 hunters, 38 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 | 421 | 322 | 65 | 34 | 0.40 | 1,100 | 330 | 173 | 38 | 141 | 22 |
| 2024 | 421 | 339 | 64 | 18 | 0.40 | 1,229 | 343 | 169 | 26 | 182 | 27 |
| 2023 | 458 | 290 | 124 | 44 | 0.43 | 1,263 | 364 | 178 | 33 | 185 | 28 |
| 2022 | 423 | 259 | 127 | 37 | 0.40 | 1,168 | 314 | 150 | 30 | 199 | 29 |
| 2021 | 541 | 370 | 127 | 44 | 0.51 | 1,189 | 425 | 165 | 18 | 153 | 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 260 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 260?
DPA 260 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). Special regulations for WMAs in this permit area. Details are on the DNR's WMA rules page. Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 260?
807 of DPA 260's 676,490 acres are public land open to the public (0.1%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 807 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 260 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 807 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 807 | 0.1% |
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 260
DNR WMAs in DPA 260, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Red River of the North WMA: 533 acres
- Joe River WMA: 159 acres
How do you get to DPA 260?
Highways through it: US 75 (about 62 miles inside), MN 220 (about 30 miles inside), MN 1 (about 23 miles inside), MN 11 (about 19 miles inside) and MN 175 (about 17 miles inside). Towns inside: Hallock, Argyle, St. Vincent, Stephen, Kennedy and Oslo. Nearby: Lancaster (on the line), Warren (on the line), Alvarado (on the line) and Karlstad (5 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 260?
DPA 260 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 256 | 1,042 | 2025 | 7.5% | |
| DPA 263 | 1,024 | 2025 | 16.6% | |
| DPA 264 | 1,995 | 2025 | 7% | |
| DPA 661 | 437 | 2025 | 0.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 260 in 2025?
421 deer were registered: 322 adult bucks, 65 adult does and 34 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 541, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 260?
The DNR lists DPA 260 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 260?
Yes. 807 acres, 0.1% 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 2 wildlife management areas here, the largest Red River of the North WMA (533 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 260?
1,100 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 330 deer, 259 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 Marshall County Kittson County DPA 256 DPA 263 DPA 264 DPA 661