Deer Permit Area 273: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 273 covers 633 square miles of Douglas, Pope and Grant counties, around Hoffman. Hunters registered 1,013 deer here in 2025, 697 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 4% from 2024. 5% of DPA 273 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (15,280 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 273Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Douglas County, Pope County, Grant County, Stevens County and Otter Tail County |
|---|---|
| Size | 405,338 acres (633 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,013 (697 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,649 |
| Public land | 5% (20,446 acres) |
| WMAs | 37 (5,053 acres inside DPA 273) |
| Walk-In Access | 1 site, 73 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Hoffman, Lowry, Kensington, Long Beach, Glenwood and Elbow Lake |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 273?
The DNR registered 1,013 deer in DPA 273 in 2025: 697 adult bucks, 245 adult does and 71 fawns, about 1.8 deer for each of the 571 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,649 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 775 deer, about 29 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 685 hunters, 136 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 | 1,013 | 697 | 245 | 71 | 1.77 | 2,649 | 775 | 685 | 136 | 354 | 72 |
| 2024 | 978 | 721 | 188 | 69 | 1.71 | 2,661 | 757 | 723 | 115 | 408 | 70 |
| 2023 | 968 | 496 | 341 | 131 | 1.70 | 2,769 | 719 | 765 | 156 | 525 | 64 |
| 2022 | 1,108 | 604 | 362 | 142 | 1.94 | 2,785 | 814 | 686 | 157 | 488 | 99 |
| 2021 | 1,180 | 677 | 402 | 101 | 2.07 | 2,732 | 866 | 732 | 178 | 456 | 101 |
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 273 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 273?
DPA 273 is a "Two-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 | Two-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 |
| 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 273?
20,446 of DPA 273's 405,338 acres are public land open to the public (5%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 15,280 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 273 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 15,280 | 3.8% |
| State wildlife management areas | 5,136 | 1.3% |
| Other federal land | 30 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 20,446 | 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 273
DNR WMAs in DPA 273, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Barrett WMA: 393 acres
- Hegg Lake WMA: 380 acres
- Pelican Creek WMA: 357 acres
- Nora WMA: 270 acres
- Dolven WMA: 269 acres
- Urness WMA: 265 acres
- Lowry WMA: 252 acres
- Roy L Thompson WMA: 216 acres
- Viking WMA: 198 acres
- White Bear WMA: 196 acres
- Brandon WMA: 182 acres
- Farwell WMA: 173 acres
- Chippewa Pond WMA: 173 acres
- Red Rock Lake WMA: 167 acres
- Berskow WMA: 166 acres
- Klason WMA: 137 acres
- Evansville WMA: 123 acres
- Alvstad WMA: 118 acres
- Jenson WMA: 112 acres
- Kensington WMA: 100 acres
- Schnepf WMA: 91 acres
- Lake Venus WMA: 91 acres
- Wade WMA: 84 acres
- New Prairie WMA: 59 acres
- Reno WMA: 56 acres
- Pioneer Trail WMA: 49 acres
- Van Luik WMA: 48 acres
- Star Lake WMA: 44 acres
- Isaacson WMA: 41 acres
- Anderson WMA: 41 acres
- Chermak WMA: 40 acres
- Moe WMA: 39 acres
- Strom-Bordson WMA: 35 acres
- Pomme De Terre WMA: 35 acres
- Satterlie WMA: 25 acres
- Eng Lake WMA: 23 acres
- State Gravel Pit #2531 WMA: 5 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Grant County Waterfowl Production Area (5,112 acres), Douglas County Waterfowl Production Area (4,494 acres), Pope County Waterfowl Production Area (2,677 acres), Otter Tail County Waterfowl Production Area (1,845 acres), Stevens County Waterfowl Production Area (900 acres) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (244 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 273
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 1 site in DPA 273, 73 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31: Douglas WIA #1125. DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 273?
Highways through it: MN 55 (about 36 miles inside), US 59 (about 26 miles inside), MN 27 (about 23 miles inside), I-94 (about 21 miles inside) and US 52 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Hoffman, Lowry, Kensington, Cyrus and Farwell. Nearby: Long Beach (on the line), Glenwood (on the line), Elbow Lake (on the line) and Starbuck (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 273?
DPA 273 touches 5 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 270 | 330 | 2025 | 3.5% | 8 |
| DPA 272 | 366 | 2025 | 3.3% | 4 |
| DPA 275 | 997 | 2025 | 3.7% | 6 |
| DPA 277 | 4,575 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 273 in 2025?
1,013 deer were registered: 697 adult bucks, 245 adult does and 71 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,180, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 273?
The DNR lists DPA 273 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 273?
Yes. 20,446 acres, 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 37 wildlife management areas here, the largest Barrett WMA (393 acres). Walk-In Access adds 1 site (73 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 273?
2,649 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 775 deer, 550 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 Douglas County Pope County Grant County Stevens County Otter Tail County DPA 213 DPA 270 DPA 272 DPA 275 DPA 277