Deer Permit Area 274: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 274 covers 381 square miles of Big Stone and Traverse counties, around Ortonville. Hunters registered 495 deer here in 2025, 361 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 9% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 5.9% of DPA 274 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (8,032 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 parksWalk-In AccessDPA 274Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Big Stone County and Traverse County |
|---|---|
| Size | 243,532 acres (381 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (400) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 495 (361 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,116 |
| Public land | 5.9% (14,413 acres) |
| WMAs | 17 (5,166 acres inside DPA 274) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Ortonville, Clinton, Browns Valley, Johnson, Odessa and Louisburg |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 274?
The DNR registered 495 deer in DPA 274 in 2025: 361 adult bucks, 112 adult does and 22 fawns, about 1.4 deer for each of the 354 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,116 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 363 deer, about 33 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 296 hunters, 60 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 | 495 | 361 | 112 | 22 | 1.40 | 1,116 | 363 | 296 | 60 | 187 | 45 |
| 2024 | 453 | 333 | 90 | 30 | 1.28 | 1,048 | 344 | 294 | 55 | 212 | 29 |
| 2023 | 402 | 265 | 100 | 37 | 1.14 | 1,060 | 294 | 310 | 54 | 252 | 32 |
| 2022 | 440 | 301 | 110 | 29 | 1.24 | 1,097 | 316 | 249 | 55 | 231 | 49 |
| 2021 | 432 | 329 | 86 | 17 | 1.22 | 1,034 | 335 | 241 | 46 | 227 | 35 |
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 274 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 274?
DPA 274 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (400)" 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 (400) |
| 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 274?
14,413 of DPA 274's 243,532 acres are public land open to the public (5.9%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 8,032 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 274 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 8,032 | 3.3% |
| State wildlife management areas | 5,200 | 2.1% |
| State parks | 1,021 | 0.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 160 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 14,413 | 5.9% |
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 274
DNR WMAs in DPA 274, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Thielke Lake WMA: 1,256 acres
- Victory WMA: 811 acres
- Hornstein WMA: 429 acres
- Big Stone WMA: 390 acres
- Otrey WMA: 375 acres
- Klages WMA: 242 acres
- Taffe WMA: 237 acres
- Reisdorph WMA: 214 acres
- Wesley E. Olson WMA: 198 acres
- Skoog WMA: 189 acres
- Prairie WMA: 186 acres
- David H. Steen WMA: 184 acres
- Mallard Hole WMA: 156 acres
- Thomson WMA: 119 acres
- Lindquist WMA: 72 acres
- Malta WMA: 64 acres
- West Toqua WMA: 44 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Big Stone County Waterfowl Production Area (8,039 acres).
How do you get to DPA 274?
Highways through it: MN 7 (about 34 miles inside), US 75 (about 23 miles inside), MN 28 (about 16 miles inside) and US 12 (about 14 miles inside). Towns inside: Ortonville, Clinton, Browns Valley, Graceville, Beardsley and Correll. Nearby: Johnson (on the line), Odessa (on the line), Louisburg (5 miles) and Chokio (6 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 274?
DPA 274 touches 3 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 275 | 997 | 2025 | 3.7% | 6 |
| DPA 278 | 639 | 2025 | 18.8% | 2 |
| DPA 671 | 446 | 2025 | 1.7% | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 274 in 2025?
495 deer were registered: 361 adult bucks, 112 adult does and 22 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 495, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 274?
The DNR lists DPA 274 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (400)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 274?
Yes. 14,413 acres, 5.9% 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 17 wildlife management areas here, the largest Thielke Lake WMA (1,256 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 274?
1,116 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 363 deer, 280 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 Big Stone County Traverse County DPA 275 DPA 278