Deer Permit Area 265: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 265 covers 494 square miles of Norman and Polk counties, around Fertile. Hunters registered 1,177 deer here in 2025, 599 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 10% from 2024. 3.6% of DPA 265 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (8,039 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 265Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Norman County and Polk County |
|---|---|
| Size | 316,355 acres (494 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,177 (599 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,061 |
| Public land | 3.6% (11,524 acres) |
| WMAs | 10 (8,030 acres inside DPA 265) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Fertile, Beltrami, Gary, Ada, Twin Valley and Crookston |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 265?
The DNR registered 1,177 deer in DPA 265 in 2025: 599 adult bucks, 435 adult does and 143 fawns, about 2.4 deer for each of the 494 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,061 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 919 deer, about 45 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 395 hunters, 108 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 | 1,177 | 599 | 435 | 143 | 2.38 | 2,061 | 919 | 395 | 108 | 304 | 91 |
| 2024 | 1,067 | 631 | 324 | 112 | 2.16 | 2,162 | 847 | 373 | 80 | 279 | 90 |
| 2023 | 930 | 479 | 328 | 123 | 1.88 | 2,054 | 747 | 367 | 73 | 343 | 72 |
| 2022 | 1,178 | 520 | 499 | 159 | 2.38 | 2,236 | 902 | 385 | 103 | 351 | 115 |
| 2021 | 1,345 | 616 | 534 | 195 | 2.72 | 2,262 | 1,031 | 395 | 120 | 364 | 111 |
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 265 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 265?
DPA 265 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 265?
11,524 of DPA 265's 316,355 acres are public land open to the public (3.6%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 8,039 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 265 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 8,039 | 2.5% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,200 | 0.7% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,285 | 0.4% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,524 | 3.6% |
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 265
DNR WMAs in DPA 265, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Chicog WMA: 2,432 acres
- Agassiz-Olson WMA: 1,774 acres
- Liberty WMA: 1,368 acres
- Prairie Dunes WMA: 1,081 acres
- Faith WMA: 661 acres
- Onstad WMA: 199 acres
- Ranum WMA: 183 acres
- Thorson Prairie WMA: 130 acres
- Agassiz-Nelson WMA: 120 acres
- Ida WMA: 82 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Norman County Waterfowl Production Area (1,377 acres) and Polk County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (822 acres).
How do you get to DPA 265?
Highways through it: MN 9 (about 20 miles inside), MN 32 (about 19 miles inside), MN 200 (about 19 miles inside) and MN 102 (about 11 miles inside). Towns inside: Fertile, Beltrami, Gary and Winger. Nearby: Ada (on the line), Twin Valley (on the line), Crookston (3 miles) and Bejou (4 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 265?
DPA 265 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 210 | 1,487 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 256 | 1,042 | 2025 | 7.5% | |
| DPA 257 | 979 | 2025 | 8.4% | |
| DPA 262 | 426 | 2025 | 0.1% | |
| DPA 297 | 224 | 2025 | 9.2% | |
| DPA 661 | 437 | 2025 | 0.1% | |
| DPA 666 | 686 | 2025 | 7.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 265 in 2025?
1,177 deer were registered: 599 adult bucks, 435 adult does and 143 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,345, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 265?
The DNR lists DPA 265 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 265?
Yes. 11,524 acres, 3.6% 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 10 wildlife management areas here, the largest Chicog WMA (2,432 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 265?
2,061 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 919 deer, 493 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 Norman County Polk County DPA 210 DPA 256 DPA 257 DPA 262 DPA 297 DPA 661