Deer Permit Area 263: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 263 covers 706 square miles of Kittson and Roseau counties, around Lancaster. Hunters registered 1,024 deer here in 2025, 763 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 11% from 2024. 16.6% of DPA 263 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (70,492 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 263Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Kittson County and Roseau County |
|---|---|
| Size | 451,945 acres (706 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,024 (763 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,256 |
| Public land | 16.6% (75,064 acres) |
| WMAs | 13 (70,398 acres inside DPA 263) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Lancaster, Greenbush, Halma, Karlstad, Donaldson and Kennedy |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 263?
The DNR registered 1,024 deer in DPA 263 in 2025: 763 adult bucks, 198 adult does and 63 fawns, about 1.5 deer for each of the 706 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,256 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 871 deer, about 39 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 251 hunters, 41 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 | 1,024 | 763 | 198 | 63 | 1.45 | 2,256 | 871 | 251 | 41 | 356 | 42 |
| 2024 | 920 | 699 | 168 | 53 | 1.30 | 2,247 | 756 | 241 | 41 | 322 | 62 |
| 2023 | 1,029 | 535 | 376 | 118 | 1.46 | 2,233 | 831 | 302 | 45 | 373 | 95 |
| 2022 | 994 | 543 | 347 | 104 | 1.41 | 2,294 | 807 | 293 | 49 | 368 | 84 |
| 2021 | 1,257 | 681 | 458 | 118 | 1.78 | 2,356 | 977 | 305 | 68 | 427 | 130 |
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 263 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 263?
DPA 263 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). 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 263?
75,064 of DPA 263's 451,945 acres are public land open to the public (16.6%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 70,492 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 263 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 70,492 | 15.6% |
| State parks | 2,556 | 0.6% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,589 | 0.4% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 427 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 75,064 | 16.6% |
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 263
DNR WMAs in DPA 263, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Beaches Lake WMA: 30,601 acres
- Caribou WMA: 14,128 acres
- Skull Lake WMA: 7,444 acres
- Roseau River WMA: 4,059 acres
- Pelan WMA: 3,637 acres
- Halma Swamp WMA: 3,029 acres
- Twin Lakes WMA: 2,764 acres
- Percy WMA: 1,874 acres
- Devils Playground WMA: 1,459 acres
- Bonasa WMA: 847 acres
- Polonia WMA: 357 acres
- Taxidae WMA: 121 acres
- Cannon WMA: 78 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (431 acres).
How do you get to DPA 263?
Highways through it: US 59 (about 33 miles inside), MN 11 (about 15 miles inside) and MN 175 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Lancaster, Greenbush, Halma and Lake Bronson. Nearby: Karlstad (on the line), Donaldson (4 miles), Kennedy (5 miles) and Humboldt (6 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 263?
DPA 263 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 201 | 270 | 2025 | 65.8% | |
| DPA 260 | 421 | 2025 | 0.1% | |
| DPA 264 | 1,995 | 2025 | 7% | |
| DPA 267 | 772 | 2025 | 6.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 263 in 2025?
1,024 deer were registered: 763 adult bucks, 198 adult does and 63 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,257, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 263?
The DNR lists DPA 263 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 263?
Yes. 75,064 acres, 16.6% 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 13 wildlife management areas here, the largest Beaches Lake WMA (30,601 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 263?
2,256 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 871 deer, 668 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 Kittson County Roseau County DPA 201 DPA 260 DPA 264 DPA 267