Deer Permit Area 275: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 275 covers 977 square miles of Swift, Stevens and Pope counties, around Morris. Hunters registered 997 deer here in 2025, 778 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 13% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 3.7% of DPA 275 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (14,675 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 275Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Swift County, Stevens County, Pope County, Big Stone County and Chippewa County |
|---|---|
| Size | 624,989 acres (977 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 997 (778 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,672 |
| Public land | 3.7% (23,343 acres) |
| WMAs | 35 (8,257 acres inside DPA 275) |
| Walk-In Access | 6 sites, 549 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Morris, Benson, Clontarf, Cyrus, Milan and Appleton |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 275?
The DNR registered 997 deer in DPA 275 in 2025: 778 adult bucks, 185 adult does and 34 fawns, about 1.0 deer for each of the 957 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,672 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 781 deer, about 29 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 621 hunters, 100 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 | 997 | 778 | 185 | 34 | 1.04 | 2,672 | 781 | 621 | 100 | 439 | 79 |
| 2024 | 880 | 709 | 142 | 29 | 0.92 | 2,625 | 687 | 619 | 99 | 451 | 57 |
| 2023 | 775 | 563 | 178 | 34 | 0.81 | 2,577 | 617 | 574 | 71 | 523 | 59 |
| 2022 | 842 | 624 | 168 | 50 | 0.88 | 2,585 | 630 | 532 | 84 | 444 | 80 |
| 2021 | 856 | 694 | 131 | 31 | 0.89 | 2,552 | 646 | 496 | 91 | 442 | 63 |
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 275 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 275?
DPA 275 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 |
| 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 275?
23,343 of DPA 275's 624,989 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 14,675 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 275 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 14,675 | 2.3% |
| State wildlife management areas | 8,288 | 1.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 334 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 42 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 23,343 | 3.7% |
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 275
DNR WMAs in DPA 275, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Danvers WMA: 3,032 acres
- Clair Rollings WMA: 534 acres
- Alberta WMA: 463 acres
- Milan WMA: 447 acres
- Bill Freeman WMA: 322 acres
- Noordmans WMA: 318 acres
- Benderberg WMA: 242 acres
- Benson WMA: 239 acres
- Persen WMA: 227 acres
- Byrne Lake WMA: 217 acres
- John A. Scharf Memorial WMA: 209 acres
- Jossart WMA: 201 acres
- Ehrenberg WMA: 168 acres
- Orville Erickson WMA: 160 acres
- Dismal Swamp WMA: 142 acres
- Chippewa River WMA: 124 acres
- Tjosaas WMA: 98 acres
- Selk WMA: 92 acres
- Eul WMA: 90 acres
- Muddy Creek WMA: 89 acres
- Old Gravel Pit WMA: 81 acres
- Hoff WMA: 81 acres
- Lake Emily WMA: 81 acres
- Otrey WMA: 80 acres
- Coleman WMA: 78 acres
- Robertson WMA: 76 acres
- Henry X WMA: 62 acres
- Shible WMA: 47 acres
- Mathison WMA: 47 acres
- Weiler WMA: 47 acres
- Dablow WMA: 42 acres
- Freed WMA: 40 acres
- Hennen WMA: 35 acres
- Reimers WMA: 26 acres
- Walden WMA: 20 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Stevens County Waterfowl Production Area (4,082 acres), Swift County Waterfowl Production Area (3,895 acres), Big Stone County Waterfowl Production Area (3,786 acres), Pope County Waterfowl Production Area (2,646 acres), Pomme De Terre Park (258 acres) and Chippewa County Waterfowl Production Area (245 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 275
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 6 sites in DPA 275, 549 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Swift WIA #432 (233 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 275?
Highways through it: US 59 (about 34 miles inside), US 12 (about 28 miles inside), MN 9 (about 25 miles inside), MN 28 (about 23 miles inside) and MN 29 (about 16 miles inside). Towns inside: Morris, Benson, Clontarf, Starbuck, Holloway and Hancock. Nearby: Cyrus (on the line), Milan (on the line), Appleton (on the line) and Johnson (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 275?
DPA 275 touches 7 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 272 | 366 | 2025 | 3.3% | 4 |
| DPA 273 | 1,013 | 2025 | 5% | 1 |
| DPA 274 | 495 | 2025 | 5.9% | |
| DPA 277 | 4,575 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
| DPA 278 | 639 | 2025 | 18.8% | 2 |
| DPA 282 | 242 | 2025 | 0.9% | 2 |
| DPA 671 | 446 | 2025 | 1.7% | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 275 in 2025?
997 deer were registered: 778 adult bucks, 185 adult does and 34 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 997, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 275?
The DNR lists DPA 275 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 275?
Yes. 23,343 acres, 3.7% 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 35 wildlife management areas here, the largest Danvers WMA (3,032 acres). Walk-In Access adds 6 sites (549 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 275?
2,672 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 781 deer, 626 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 Swift County Stevens County Pope County Big Stone County Chippewa County DPA 272 DPA 273 DPA 274 DPA 277 DPA 278 DPA 282