Deer Permit Area 264: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 264 covers 672 square miles of Marshall, Roseau and Kittson counties, around Karlstad. Hunters registered 1,995 deer here in 2025, 1,046 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is down 1% from 2024. 7% of DPA 264 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (29,471 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 264Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Marshall County, Roseau County, Kittson County and Pennington County |
|---|---|
| Size | 429,766 acres (672 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,995 (1,046 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 3,784 |
| Public land | 7% (30,161 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (29,453 acres inside DPA 264) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Karlstad, Newfolden, Holt, Strathcona, Greenbush and Middle River |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 264?
The DNR registered 1,995 deer in DPA 264 in 2025: 1,046 adult bucks, 726 adult does and 223 fawns, about 3.0 deer for each of the 669 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 3,784 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,597 deer, about 42 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 543 hunters, 133 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 | 1,995 | 1,046 | 726 | 223 | 2.98 | 3,784 | 1,597 | 543 | 133 | 508 | 120 |
| 2024 | 2,007 | 1,103 | 683 | 221 | 3.00 | 3,741 | 1,574 | 543 | 135 | 570 | 154 |
| 2023 | 1,770 | 852 | 728 | 190 | 2.65 | 3,540 | 1,411 | 470 | 97 | 567 | 161 |
| 2022 | 1,621 | 793 | 651 | 177 | 2.42 | 3,431 | 1,264 | 398 | 90 | 516 | 147 |
| 2021 | 1,836 | 982 | 617 | 237 | 2.74 | 3,523 | 1,426 | 465 | 98 | 537 | 154 |
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 264 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 264?
DPA 264 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). 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 264?
30,161 of DPA 264's 429,766 acres are public land open to the public (7%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 29,471 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 264 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 29,471 | 6.9% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 404 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 286 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 30,161 | 7% |
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 264
DNR WMAs in DPA 264, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- East Park WMA: 10,420 acres
- Huntly WMA: 6,503 acres
- Twin Lakes WMA: 6,103 acres
- New Maine WMA: 2,665 acres
- Florian WMA: 1,528 acres
- Lind WMA: 653 acres
- Wright WMA: 393 acres
- Deerwood WMA: 322 acres
- West Valley WMA: 247 acres
- New Folden WMA: 200 acres
- Hereim WMA: 184 acres
- Spruce Valley WMA: 81 acres
- Alces WMA: 75 acres
- Adolf Elseth Memorial WMA: 44 acres
- Deer WMA: 35 acres
How do you get to DPA 264?
Highways through it: US 59 (about 35 miles inside), MN 1 (about 19 miles inside), MN 11 (about 16 miles inside) and MN 32 (about 11 miles inside). Towns inside: Karlstad, Newfolden, Holt, Viking and Strandquist. Nearby: Strathcona (on the line), Greenbush (on the line), Middle River (on the line) and Thief River Falls (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 264?
DPA 264 touches 8 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 208 | 465 | 2025 | 3.8% | |
| DPA 209 | 1,486 | 2025 | 1.2% | |
| DPA 256 | 1,042 | 2025 | 7.5% | |
| DPA 257 | 979 | 2025 | 8.4% | |
| DPA 260 | 421 | 2025 | 0.1% | |
| DPA 263 | 1,024 | 2025 | 16.6% | |
| DPA 267 | 772 | 2025 | 6.1% | |
| DPA 268 | 801 | 2025 | 37.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 264 in 2025?
1,995 deer were registered: 1,046 adult bucks, 726 adult does and 223 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 2,007, in 2024.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 264?
The DNR lists DPA 264 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 264?
Yes. 30,161 acres, 7% 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 15 wildlife management areas here, the largest East Park WMA (10,420 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 264?
3,784 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,597 deer, 885 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 Marshall County Roseau County Kittson County Pennington County DPA 208 DPA 209 DPA 256 DPA 257 DPA 260 DPA 263 DPA 267 DPA 268