Deer Permit Area 277: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 277 covers 1,147 square miles of Kandiyohi, Meeker and Pope counties, around Willmar. Hunters registered 4,575 deer here in 2025, 2,281 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 6% from 2024. 5.7% of DPA 277 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (23,550 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 277Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Kandiyohi County, Meeker County, Pope County, Swift County and Stearns County |
|---|---|
| Size | 734,361 acres (1,147 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 4,575 (2,281 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 8,405 |
| Public land | 5.7% (41,570 acres) |
| WMAs | 40 (12,271 acres inside DPA 277) |
| Walk-In Access | 7 sites, 627 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Willmar, Kimball, Long Beach, Starbuck, Pennock and Grove City |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 277?
The DNR registered 4,575 deer in DPA 277 in 2025: 2,281 adult bucks, 1,782 adult does and 512 fawns, about 4.3 deer for each of the 1,058 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 8,405 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 2,964 deer, about 35 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 2,963 hunters, 840 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 | 4,575 | 2,281 | 1,782 | 512 | 4.32 | 8,405 | 2,964 | 2,963 | 840 | 1,741 | 446 |
| 2024 | 4,301 | 2,360 | 1,450 | 491 | 4.07 | 8,492 | 2,922 | 2,995 | 835 | 1,802 | 398 |
| 2023 | 4,013 | 1,905 | 1,547 | 561 | 3.79 | 8,352 | 2,607 | 2,835 | 682 | 2,042 | 383 |
| 2022 | 4,775 | 2,085 | 1,961 | 729 | 4.51 | 8,708 | 2,916 | 2,658 | 817 | 1,985 | 608 |
| 2021 | 5,084 | 2,325 | 2,036 | 723 | 4.81 | 9,124 | 3,116 | 2,784 | 806 | 2,094 | 541 |
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 277 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 277?
DPA 277 is a "Three-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 | Three-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 |
| Early antlerless 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 277?
41,570 of DPA 277's 734,361 acres are public land open to the public (5.7%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 23,550 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 277 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 23,550 | 3.2% |
| State wildlife management areas | 12,674 | 1.7% |
| State parks | 4,845 | 0.7% |
| County, city and regional land | 258 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 230 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 13 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 41,570 | 5.7% |
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 277
DNR WMAs in DPA 277, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Camp Kerk WMA: 1,110 acres
- Dietrich Lange WMA: 943 acres
- Ringo-Nest WMA: 821 acres
- Kingston WMA: 624 acres
- Tamarac WMA: 615 acres
- Bench WMA: 614 acres
- Follies WMA: 610 acres
- Regal Flats WMA: 508 acres
- Burbank WMA: 506 acres
- Simon Lake WMA: 412 acres
- Oleander WMA: 403 acres
- Madsen WMA: 364 acres
- Stearns Prairie Heritage WMA: 341 acres
- Edward Raymond Mohs WMA: 331 acres
- Manannah WMA: 320 acres
- Regal Meadows WMA: 306 acres
- Norman T. Dahlman WMA: 303 acres
- Little Jo WMA: 301 acres
- Powers Lake WMA: 276 acres
- Cabinrock WMA: 259 acres
- Dr. L. Daniel Frenzel Jr and Virginia Frenzel WMA: 240 acres
- Teal Scurry WMA: 235 acres
- Chippewa Falls WMA: 218 acres
- Monson WMA: 209 acres
- Rau Prairie Pothole WMA: 191 acres
- Crow River WMA: 155 acres
- Henry X WMA: 134 acres
- Willmar WMA: 127 acres
- Kandi WMA: 127 acres
- Sunburg WMA: 109 acres
- Gopher Ridge WMA: 90 acres
- Mamre WMA: 80 acres
- Bangor WMA: 80 acres
- RIM Memorial WMA: 77 acres
- Skarpness WMA: 57 acres
- Eagle WMA: 50 acres
- New London WMA: 46 acres
- Heinks WMA: 39 acres
- Grovelund WMA: 27 acres
- Wig WMA: 13 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Kandiyohi County Waterfowl Production Area (8,897 acres), Pope County Waterfowl Production Area (6,537 acres), Swift County Waterfowl Production Area (4,267 acres), Meeker County Waterfowl Production Area (2,682 acres) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (789 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 277
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 7 sites in DPA 277, 627 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Pope WIA #1058 (149 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 277?
Highways through it: MN 23 (about 47 miles inside), MN 9 (about 34 miles inside), US 71 (about 29 miles inside), MN 55 (about 28 miles inside) and US 12 (about 18 miles inside). Towns inside: Willmar, Kimball, Long Beach, New London, Spicer and Belgrade. Nearby: Starbuck (on the line), Pennock (on the line), Grove City (on the line) and Brooten (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 277?
DPA 277 touches 8 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 218 | 3,769 | 2025 | 2.9% | |
| DPA 219 | 1,989 | 2025 | 2.3% | |
| DPA 273 | 1,013 | 2025 | 5% | 1 |
| DPA 275 | 997 | 2025 | 3.7% | 6 |
| DPA 282 | 242 | 2025 | 0.9% | 2 |
| DPA 283 | 584 | 2025 | 3.7% | 5 |
| DPA 685 | 1.2% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 277 in 2025?
4,575 deer were registered: 2,281 adult bucks, 1,782 adult does and 512 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 5,084, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 277?
The DNR lists DPA 277 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 277?
Yes. 41,570 acres, 5.7% 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 40 wildlife management areas here, the largest Camp Kerk WMA (1,110 acres). Walk-In Access adds 7 sites (627 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 277?
8,405 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 2,964 deer, 1,759 of them adult bucks.
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
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 Kandiyohi County Meeker County Pope County Swift County Stearns County DPA 213 DPA 218 DPA 219 DPA 273 DPA 275 DPA 282 DPA 283