Deer Permit Area 269: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 269 covers 651 square miles of Clay, Wilkin and Otter Tail counties, around Moorhead. Hunters registered 464 deer here in 2025, 367 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 11% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 4.7% of DPA 269 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (11,666 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 landWalk-In AccessDPA 269Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Clay County, Wilkin County and Otter Tail County |
|---|---|
| Size | 416,776 acres (651 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 464 (367 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,261 |
| Public land | 4.7% (19,423 acres) |
| WMAs | 13 (11,556 acres inside DPA 269) |
| Walk-In Access | 12 sites, 1,884 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Moorhead, Barnesville, Glyndon, Hawley, Dilworth and Kent |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 269?
The DNR registered 464 deer in DPA 269 in 2025: 367 adult bucks, 70 adult does and 27 fawns, about 0.7 deer for each of the 650 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,261 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 346 deer, about 27 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 372 hunters, 59 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 | 464 | 367 | 70 | 27 | 0.71 | 1,261 | 346 | 372 | 59 | 314 | 34 |
| 2024 | 418 | 338 | 60 | 20 | 0.64 | 1,286 | 282 | 385 | 79 | 304 | 37 |
| 2023 | 395 | 294 | 78 | 23 | 0.61 | 1,248 | 277 | 393 | 57 | 363 | 44 |
| 2022 | 430 | 308 | 85 | 37 | 0.66 | 1,217 | 282 | 351 | 74 | 312 | 56 |
| 2021 | 458 | 347 | 93 | 18 | 0.70 | 1,289 | 313 | 376 | 54 | 317 | 69 |
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 269 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 269?
DPA 269 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 269?
19,423 of DPA 269's 416,776 acres are public land open to the public (4.7%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 11,666 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 269 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 11,666 | 2.8% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 4,215 | 1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,993 | 0.5% |
| State parks | 1,103 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 446 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 19,423 | 4.7% |
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 269
DNR WMAs in DPA 269, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Rothsay WMA: 3,427 acres
- Manston Marsh WMA: 2,727 acres
- Barnesville WMA: 1,629 acres
- Clay County WMA: 924 acres
- Bjornson WMA: 647 acres
- Rogelstad Swanson WMA: 632 acres
- Atherton WMA: 523 acres
- Janssen WMA: 319 acres
- Magnusson WMA: 267 acres
- Skree WMA: 165 acres
- Hawley WMA: 163 acres
- Interstate Highway 94 Borrow Pit WMA: 93 acres
- Hay Creek WMA: 40 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Clay County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (3,827 acres), Clay County Waterfowl Production Area Of Minnesota (3,164 acres) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (303 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 269
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 12 sites in DPA 269, 1,884 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Wilkin WIA #315 (439 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 269?
Highways through it: I-94 (about 56 miles inside), US 52 (about 56 miles inside), US 10 (about 41 miles inside), MN 9 (about 30 miles inside) and US 75 (about 30 miles inside). Towns inside: Moorhead, Barnesville, Glyndon, Rothsay, Sabin and Wolverton. Nearby: Hawley (on the line), Dilworth (on the line), Kent (2 miles) and Hitterdal (7 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 269?
DPA 269 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 239 | 3,595 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 262 | 426 | 2025 | 0.1% | |
| DPA 270 | 330 | 2025 | 3.5% | 8 |
| DPA 666 | 686 | 2025 | 7.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 269 in 2025?
464 deer were registered: 367 adult bucks, 70 adult does and 27 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 464, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 269?
The DNR lists DPA 269 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 269?
Yes. 19,423 acres, 4.7% 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 13 wildlife management areas here, the largest Rothsay WMA (3,427 acres). Walk-In Access adds 12 sites (1,884 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 269?
1,261 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 346 deer, 283 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 Clay County Wilkin County Otter Tail County DPA 239 DPA 262 DPA 270