Deer Permit Area 283: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 283 covers 363 square miles of Kandiyohi and Meeker counties, around Atwater. Hunters registered 584 deer here in 2025, 365 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 26% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 3.7% of DPA 283 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (5,981 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 283Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Kandiyohi County and Meeker County |
|---|---|
| Size | 232,388 acres (363 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 584 (365 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,234 |
| Public land | 3.7% (8,497 acres) |
| WMAs | 15 (2,299 acres inside DPA 283) |
| Walk-In Access | 5 sites, 466 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Atwater, Blomkest, Grove City, Kandiyohi, Cosmos and Cedar Mills |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 283?
The DNR registered 584 deer in DPA 283 in 2025: 365 adult bucks, 174 adult does and 45 fawns, about 1.7 deer for each of the 337 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,234 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 404 deer, about 33 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 428 hunters, 102 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 | 584 | 365 | 174 | 45 | 1.73 | 1,234 | 404 | 428 | 102 | 221 | 57 |
| 2024 | 462 | 345 | 99 | 18 | 1.37 | 1,172 | 342 | 349 | 76 | 189 | 32 |
| 2023 | 507 | 326 | 137 | 44 | 1.50 | 1,209 | 366 | 355 | 65 | 224 | 46 |
| 2022 | 496 | 333 | 124 | 39 | 1.47 | 1,257 | 354 | 350 | 63 | 238 | 53 |
| 2021 | 549 | 371 | 131 | 47 | 1.63 | 1,267 | 417 | 312 | 59 | 224 | 43 |
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 283 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 283?
DPA 283 is a "Two-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 | Two-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 283?
8,497 of DPA 283's 232,388 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 5,981 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 283 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 5,981 | 2.6% |
| State wildlife management areas | 2,476 | 1.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 37 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,497 | 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 283
DNR WMAs in DPA 283, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Greenleaf WMA: 437 acres
- Wieker WMA: 305 acres
- Rodewald WMA: 291 acres
- Popular WMA: 206 acres
- Thoen Lake WMA: 155 acres
- Butternut WMA: 154 acres
- Atwater WMA: 139 acres
- Litchfield WMA: 120 acres
- Gennessee WMA: 112 acres
- Provencher WMA: 86 acres
- Yohi WMA: 83 acres
- Lake Eleanor WMA: 72 acres
- Mahlon W. James Memorial WMA: 59 acres
- Hen Haven WMA: 40 acres
- Acton WMA: 40 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Kandiyohi County Waterfowl Production Area (3,815 acres) and Meeker County Waterfowl Production Area (2,167 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 283
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 5 sites in DPA 283, 466 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Kandiyohi WIA #236 (214 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 283?
Highways through it: MN 7 (about 15 miles inside), MN 4 (about 15 miles inside), US 12 (about 14 miles inside), US 71 (about 4 miles inside) and MN 22 (about 3 miles inside). Towns inside: Atwater, Blomkest, Grove City and Lake Lillian. Nearby: Kandiyohi (on the line), Cosmos (on the line), Cedar Mills (on the line) and Litchfield (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 283?
DPA 283 touches 4 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 277 | 4,575 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
| DPA 282 | 242 | 2025 | 0.9% | 2 |
| DPA 284 | 714 | 2025 | 1.5% | 4 |
| DPA 685 | 1.2% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 283 in 2025?
584 deer were registered: 365 adult bucks, 174 adult does and 45 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 584, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 283?
The DNR lists DPA 283 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 283?
Yes. 8,497 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 15 wildlife management areas here, the largest Greenleaf WMA (437 acres). Walk-In Access adds 5 sites (466 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 283?
1,234 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 404 deer, 272 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 Kandiyohi County Meeker County DPA 277 DPA 282 DPA 284