Deer Permit Area 270: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 270 covers 746 square miles of Wilkin, Otter Tail and Grant counties, around Nashua. Hunters registered 330 deer here in 2025, 278 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 9% from 2024. 3.5% of DPA 270 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (10,621 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 270Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Wilkin County, Otter Tail County and Grant County |
|---|---|
| Size | 477,356 acres (746 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (150) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 330 (278 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 951 |
| Public land | 3.5% (16,894 acres) |
| WMAs | 18 (5,890 acres inside DPA 270) |
| Walk-In Access | 8 sites, 836 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Nashua, Breckenridge, Foxhome, Wendell, Rothsay and Fergus Falls |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 270?
The DNR registered 330 deer in DPA 270 in 2025: 278 adult bucks, 40 adult does and 12 fawns, about 0.4 deer for each of the 748 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 951 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 247 deer, about 26 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 239 hunters, 48 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 | 330 | 278 | 40 | 12 | 0.44 | 951 | 247 | 239 | 48 | 158 | 28 |
| 2024 | 304 | 274 | 19 | 11 | 0.41 | 937 | 218 | 224 | 42 | 148 | 36 |
| 2023 | 247 | 191 | 37 | 19 | 0.33 | 959 | 182 | 242 | 32 | 200 | 28 |
| 2022 | 309 | 246 | 48 | 15 | 0.41 | 1,010 | 216 | 229 | 37 | 191 | 43 |
| 2021 | 339 | 275 | 50 | 14 | 0.45 | 1,019 | 252 | 225 | 37 | 184 | 40 |
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 270 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 270?
DPA 270 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (150)" 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: antlerless permit lottery (150) |
| 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 |
| Disease management | CWD surveillance zone |
| CWD testing | Mandatory CWD testing Nov. 7-8; Voluntary CWD testing remainder of all seasons |
Source: Minnesota DNR deer permit areas, 2026 seasons (July 2026 - June 2027). Special CWD related regulations in this area. See mndnr.gov/cwd for details. Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 270?
16,894 of DPA 270's 477,356 acres are public land open to the public (3.5%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 10,621 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 270 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 10,621 | 2.2% |
| State wildlife management areas | 5,897 | 1.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 315 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 57 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 16,894 | 3.5% |
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 270
DNR WMAs in DPA 270, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Orwell WMA: 2,127 acres
- Rothsay WMA: 658 acres
- Doran WMA: 616 acres
- Kube-swift WMA: 332 acres
- Aastad WMA: 317 acres
- Erlandson WMA: 283 acres
- Coyour Memorial WMA: 240 acres
- Marple WMA: 212 acres
- Copeland WMA: 200 acres
- Mustinka WMA: 174 acres
- Prairie Ridge WMA: 160 acres
- Valdine WMA: 140 acres
- Andrea WMA: 110 acres
- Shuck WMA: 86 acres
- Oscar WMA: 83 acres
- Akron WMA: 81 acres
- Bergerud WMA: 56 acres
- West Township County Gravel Pit WMA: 15 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Otter Tail County Waterfowl Production Area (7,156 acres), Wilkin County Waterfowl Production Area (1,995 acres) and Grant County Waterfowl Production Area (1,471 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 270
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 8 sites in DPA 270, 836 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Wilkin WIA #306 (154 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 270?
Highways through it: MN 9 (about 36 miles inside), US 75 (about 34 miles inside), MN 210 (about 26 miles inside), MN 55 (about 11 miles inside) and US 59 (about 10 miles inside). Towns inside: Nashua, Breckenridge, Foxhome, Kent, Campbell and Doran. Nearby: Wendell (on the line), Rothsay (on the line), Fergus Falls (2 miles) and Tintah (2 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 270?
DPA 270 touches 6 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 213 | 6,423 | 2025 | 3.3% | 3 |
| DPA 239 | 3,595 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 269 | 464 | 2025 | 4.7% | 12 |
| DPA 272 | 366 | 2025 | 3.3% | 4 |
| DPA 273 | 1,013 | 2025 | 5% | 1 |
| DPA 671 | 446 | 2025 | 1.7% | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 270 in 2025?
330 deer were registered: 278 adult bucks, 40 adult does and 12 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 339, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 270?
The DNR lists DPA 270 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (150)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 270?
Yes. 16,894 acres, 3.5% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas. The DNR's map shows 18 wildlife management areas here, the largest Orwell WMA (2,127 acres). Walk-In Access adds 8 sites (836 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 270?
951 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 247 deer, 215 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 Wilkin County Otter Tail County Grant County DPA 213 DPA 239 DPA 269 DPA 272 DPA 273