Deer Permit Area 272: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 272 covers 544 square miles of Grant and Stevens counties, around Donnelly. Hunters registered 366 deer here in 2025, 317 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 8% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 3.3% of DPA 272 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (8,958 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 landWalk-In AccessDPA 272Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Grant County and Stevens County |
|---|---|
| Size | 348,424 acres (544 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 | 366 (317 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,086 |
| Public land | 3.3% (11,517 acres) |
| WMAs | 14 (2,525 acres inside DPA 272) |
| Walk-In Access | 4 sites, 353 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Donnelly, Barrett, Norcross, Morris, Nashua and Johnson |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 272?
The DNR registered 366 deer in DPA 272 in 2025: 317 adult bucks, 43 adult does and 6 fawns, about 0.7 deer for each of the 531 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,086 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 283 deer, about 26 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 253 hunters, 38 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 | 366 | 317 | 43 | 6 | 0.69 | 1,086 | 283 | 253 | 38 | 161 | 26 |
| 2024 | 338 | 296 | 27 | 15 | 0.64 | 1,091 | 252 | 233 | 33 | 156 | 33 |
| 2023 | 332 | 267 | 54 | 11 | 0.63 | 1,086 | 266 | 180 | 24 | 183 | 26 |
| 2022 | 307 | 252 | 41 | 14 | 0.58 | 1,104 | 245 | 189 | 21 | 177 | 25 |
| 2021 | 360 | 300 | 51 | 9 | 0.68 | 1,083 | 289 | 188 | 22 | 153 | 25 |
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 272 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 272?
DPA 272 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 272?
11,517 of DPA 272's 348,424 acres are public land open to the public (3.3%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 8,958 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 272 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 8,958 | 2.6% |
| State wildlife management areas | 2,526 | 0.7% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 26 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 7 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,517 | 3.3% |
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 272
DNR WMAs in DPA 272, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mustinka WMA: 574 acres
- Eldorado WMA: 300 acres
- Helsene WMA: 274 acres
- Macsville WMA: 270 acres
- Blakesley WMA: 190 acres
- Everglade Marshes WMA: 181 acres
- Horning Pit WMA: 164 acres
- Wilts WMA: 145 acres
- Cin WMA: 132 acres
- Towner WMA: 119 acres
- Thedin WMA: 61 acres
- Brouillet WMA: 50 acres
- Kline WMA: 40 acres
- Boekholt Grove WMA: 25 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Stevens County Waterfowl Production Area (4,821 acres) and Grant County Waterfowl Production Area (4,139 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 272
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 4 sites in DPA 272, 353 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Grant WIA #719 (142 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 272?
Highways through it: MN 9 (about 30 miles inside), MN 27 (about 19 miles inside), MN 55 (about 15 miles inside), US 59 (about 12 miles inside) and MN 54 (about 11 miles inside). Towns inside: Donnelly, Barrett, Norcross, Elbow Lake, Herman and Wendell. Nearby: Morris (on the line), Nashua (2 miles), Johnson (2 miles) and Tintah (3 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 272?
DPA 272 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 270 | 330 | 2025 | 3.5% | 8 |
| DPA 273 | 1,013 | 2025 | 5% | 1 |
| DPA 275 | 997 | 2025 | 3.7% | 6 |
| DPA 671 | 446 | 2025 | 1.7% | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 272 in 2025?
366 deer were registered: 317 adult bucks, 43 adult does and 6 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 366, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 272?
The DNR lists DPA 272 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 272?
Yes. 11,517 acres, 3.3% 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 14 wildlife management areas here, the largest Mustinka WMA (574 acres). Walk-In Access adds 4 sites (353 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 272?
1,086 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 283 deer, 259 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 Grant County Stevens County DPA 270 DPA 273 DPA 275