Deer Permit Area 278: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 278 covers 421 square miles of Lac qui Parle, Chippewa and Big Stone counties, around Appleton. Hunters registered 639 deer here in 2025, 490 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 2% from 2024. 18.8% of DPA 278 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (36,610 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 278Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Lac qui Parle County, Chippewa County, Big Stone County and Swift County |
|---|---|
| Size | 269,584 acres (421 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (300) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 639 (490 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,709 |
| Public land | 18.8% (50,725 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (36,422 acres inside DPA 278) |
| Walk-In Access | 2 sites, 119 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Appleton, Odessa, Milan, Correll, Montevideo and Ortonville |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 278?
The DNR registered 639 deer in DPA 278 in 2025: 490 adult bucks, 124 adult does and 25 fawns, about 1.6 deer for each of the 402 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,709 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 464 deer, about 27 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 358 hunters, 94 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 | 639 | 490 | 124 | 25 | 1.59 | 1,709 | 464 | 358 | 94 | 328 | 63 |
| 2024 | 624 | 506 | 87 | 31 | 1.55 | 1,736 | 449 | 397 | 90 | 364 | 69 |
| 2023 | 580 | 405 | 138 | 37 | 1.44 | 1,783 | 432 | 409 | 61 | 378 | 69 |
| 2022 | 680 | 467 | 169 | 44 | 1.69 | 1,840 | 485 | 342 | 78 | 409 | 97 |
| 2021 | 660 | 477 | 144 | 39 | 1.64 | 1,826 | 486 | 362 | 74 | 405 | 75 |
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 278 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 278?
DPA 278 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (300)" 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 (300) |
| 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 278?
50,725 of DPA 278's 269,584 acres are public land open to the public (18.8%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 36,610 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 278 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 36,610 | 13.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 13,455 | 5% |
| State parks | 590 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 70 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 50,725 | 18.8% |
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 278
DNR WMAs in DPA 278, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Lac qui Parle WMA: 33,598 acres
- Kibler WMA: 541 acres
- Walter WMA: 510 acres
- Hantho WMA: 335 acres
- Caerulean WMA: 264 acres
- Perry WMA: 212 acres
- Bergo WMA: 189 acres
- Benderberg WMA: 185 acres
- Quilitz WMA: 174 acres
- Clair T. Rollings Chippewa Co. WMA: 121 acres
- Red Buffalo WMA: 108 acres
- Tunsberg WMA: 81 acres
- Ohnah WMA: 44 acres
- Byholt Marsh WMA: 40 acres
- Pyramid WMA: 20 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge (11,658 acres) and Lac Qui Parle County Waterfowl Production Area (1,805 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 278
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 2 sites in DPA 278, 119 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Chippewa WIA #1007 (72 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 278?
Highways through it: MN 7 (about 40 miles inside), US 59 (about 24 miles inside), US 75 (about 16 miles inside), MN 119 (about 9 miles inside) and MN 29 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Appleton, Odessa, Milan, Bellingham, Louisburg and Watson. Nearby: Correll (on the line), Montevideo (on the line), Ortonville (on the line) and Marietta (4 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 278?
DPA 278 touches 6 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 274 | 495 | 2025 | 5.9% | |
| DPA 275 | 997 | 2025 | 3.7% | 6 |
| DPA 279 | 397 | 2025 | 4.7% | 15 |
| DPA 280 | 329 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
| DPA 281 | 1,343 | 2025 | 2.1% | 5 |
| DPA 282 | 242 | 2025 | 0.9% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 278 in 2025?
639 deer were registered: 490 adult bucks, 124 adult does and 25 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 680, in 2022.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 278?
The DNR lists DPA 278 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (300)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 278?
Yes. 50,725 acres, 18.8% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state wildlife management areas. The DNR's map shows 15 wildlife management areas here, the largest Lac qui Parle WMA (33,598 acres). Walk-In Access adds 2 sites (119 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 278?
1,709 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 464 deer, 384 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 Lac qui Parle County Chippewa County Big Stone County Swift County DPA 274 DPA 275 DPA 279 DPA 280 DPA 281 DPA 282