Deer Permit Area 281: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 281 covers 609 square miles of Renville, Yellow Medicine and Redwood counties, around Redwood Falls. Hunters registered 1,343 deer here in 2025, 749 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. 2.1% of DPA 281 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (5,245 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 281Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Renville County, Yellow Medicine County, Redwood County and Chippewa County |
|---|---|
| Size | 389,837 acres (609 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,343 (749 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,655 |
| Public land | 2.1% (8,335 acres) |
| WMAs | 17 (4,628 acres inside DPA 281) |
| Walk-In Access | 5 sites, 902 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Redwood Falls, Montevideo, Granite Falls, Olivia, Renville and Danube |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 281?
The DNR registered 1,343 deer in DPA 281 in 2025: 749 adult bucks, 528 adult does and 66 fawns, about 2.3 deer for each of the 575 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,655 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 910 deer, about 34 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 785 hunters, 211 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 | 1,343 | 749 | 528 | 66 | 2.34 | 2,655 | 910 | 785 | 211 | 621 | 182 |
| 2024 | 1,227 | 753 | 386 | 88 | 2.13 | 2,634 | 866 | 816 | 199 | 649 | 132 |
| 2023 | 1,156 | 620 | 437 | 99 | 2.01 | 2,623 | 777 | 820 | 205 | 694 | 145 |
| 2022 | 1,329 | 693 | 517 | 119 | 2.31 | 2,746 | 898 | 712 | 206 | 686 | 189 |
| 2021 | 1,319 | 721 | 467 | 131 | 2.29 | 2,645 | 919 | 692 | 185 | 671 | 163 |
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 281 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 281?
DPA 281 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 |
| 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 281?
8,335 of DPA 281's 389,837 acres are public land open to the public (2.1%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 5,245 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 281 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 5,245 | 1.3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,098 | 0.3% |
| State parks | 1,086 | 0.3% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 576 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 330 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,335 | 2.1% |
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 281
DNR WMAs in DPA 281, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Cedar Rock WMA: 947 acres
- Tiger Lake WMA: 698 acres
- Beaver Falls WMA: 446 acres
- Waukon Rim WMA: 385 acres
- Sween WMA: 276 acres
- Whispering Ridge WMA: 269 acres
- Cold Springs WMA: 259 acres
- Spartan WMA: 227 acres
- Klabunde WMA: 203 acres
- Granite Prairie WMA: 192 acres
- Delhi WMA: 147 acres
- Sacred Heart WMA: 141 acres
- Trongard WMA: 100 acres
- Roy Lenzen WMA: 100 acres
- Fred J. Roeck/Hugh C. Becker WMA: 81 acres
- Clawson WMA: 79 acres
- Dybsand WMA: 78 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Renville County Waterfowl Production Area (982 acres) and Ramsey Park (202 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 281
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 5 sites in DPA 281, 902 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Yellow Medicine WIA #867 (585 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 281?
Highways through it: US 212 (about 36 miles inside), MN 23 (about 28 miles inside), MN 67 (about 26 miles inside), MN 274 (about 9 miles inside) and US 71 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Redwood Falls, Montevideo, Granite Falls, Sacred Heart, Belview and Delhi. Nearby: Olivia (on the line), Renville (on the line), Danube (on the line) and Morton (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 281?
DPA 281 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 278 | 639 | 2025 | 18.8% | 2 |
| DPA 280 | 329 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
| DPA 282 | 242 | 2025 | 0.9% | 2 |
| DPA 289 | 558 | 2025 | 1.3% | 6 |
| DPA 290 | 1,202 | 2025 | 0.9% | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 281 in 2025?
1,343 deer were registered: 749 adult bucks, 528 adult does and 66 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,343, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 281?
The DNR lists DPA 281 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 281?
Yes. 8,335 acres, 2.1% 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 17 wildlife management areas here, the largest Cedar Rock WMA (947 acres). Walk-In Access adds 5 sites (902 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 281?
2,655 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 910 deer, 552 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 Renville County Yellow Medicine County Redwood County Chippewa County DPA 278 DPA 280 DPA 282 DPA 289 DPA 290