Deer Permit Area 284: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 284 covers 857 square miles of Sibley, McLeod and Renville counties, around Hutchinson. Hunters registered 714 deer here in 2025, 482 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 6% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.5% of DPA 284 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (5,081 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 areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessDPA 284Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Sibley County, McLeod County, Renville County, Meeker County and Nicollet County |
|---|---|
| Size | 548,194 acres (857 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 714 (482 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,798 |
| Public land | 1.5% (8,313 acres) |
| WMAs | 29 (5,035 acres inside DPA 284) |
| Walk-In Access | 4 sites, 406 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Hutchinson, Gaylord, Hector, Glencoe, Green Isle and Gibbon |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 284?
The DNR registered 714 deer in DPA 284 in 2025: 482 adult bucks, 186 adult does and 46 fawns, about 0.9 deer for each of the 838 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,798 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 533 deer, about 30 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 561 hunters, 85 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 | 714 | 482 | 186 | 46 | 0.85 | 1,798 | 533 | 561 | 85 | 307 | 65 |
| 2024 | 675 | 507 | 137 | 31 | 0.81 | 1,811 | 508 | 613 | 103 | 296 | 38 |
| 2023 | 605 | 435 | 139 | 31 | 0.72 | 1,750 | 427 | 589 | 106 | 355 | 39 |
| 2022 | 618 | 453 | 136 | 29 | 0.74 | 1,814 | 439 | 541 | 84 | 315 | 57 |
| 2021 | 581 | 434 | 121 | 26 | 0.69 | 1,739 | 417 | 506 | 85 | 335 | 46 |
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 284 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 284?
DPA 284 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 284?
8,313 of DPA 284's 548,194 acres are public land open to the public (1.5%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 5,081 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 284 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 5,081 | 0.9% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 3,003 | 0.5% |
| County, city and regional land | 226 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,313 | 1.5% |
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 284
DNR WMAs in DPA 284, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Ras-Lynn WMA: 1,460 acres
- Indian Lake WMA: 626 acres
- Baker's Lake WMA: 313 acres
- Severance Lake WMA: 294 acres
- Bob Gehlen WMA: 231 acres
- Boon Lake WMA: 186 acres
- Spiering WMA: 157 acres
- Altnow Marsh WMA: 147 acres
- Proehl's Woods WMA: 134 acres
- Arlington WMA: 124 acres
- Schmalz WMA: 120 acres
- Kujas Lake WMA: 116 acres
- Pebbles WMA: 110 acres
- Oak Isle WMA: 91 acres
- Penn WMA: 90 acres
- Boon Lake Slough WMA: 89 acres
- Kohl's WMA: 87 acres
- Deutsch WMA: 81 acres
- Mark and Ursel Smith WMA: 81 acres
- Sumter WMA: 80 acres
- Prairie Heritage WMA: 76 acres
- Alfsborg WMA: 73 acres
- Ward Lake WMA: 71 acres
- Daak WMA: 40 acres
- Prieve WMA: 40 acres
- Phasianus WMA: 38 acres
- Sibley WMA: 37 acres
- Boerner WMA: 27 acres
- Norwegian Grove WMA: 16 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Mcleod County Waterfowl Production Area (1,644 acres), Renville County Waterfowl Production Area (681 acres), Sibley County Waterfowl Production Area (465 acres) and Meeker County Waterfowl Production Area (218 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 284
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 4 sites in DPA 284, 406 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is McLeod WIA #615 (136 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 284?
Highways through it: US 212 (about 45 miles inside), MN 22 (about 41 miles inside), MN 15 (about 29 miles inside), MN 19 (about 26 miles inside) and MN 4 (about 19 miles inside). Towns inside: Hutchinson, Gaylord, Hector, Winthrop, Cosmos and Stewart. Nearby: Glencoe (on the line), Green Isle (on the line), Gibbon (on the line) and Arlington (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 284?
DPA 284 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 282 | 242 | 2025 | 0.9% | 2 |
| DPA 283 | 584 | 2025 | 3.7% | 5 |
| DPA 290 | 1,202 | 2025 | 0.9% | 5 |
| DPA 291 | 1,896 | 2025 | 2% | 2 |
| DPA 338 | 704 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| DPA 685 | 1.2% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 284 in 2025?
714 deer were registered: 482 adult bucks, 186 adult does and 46 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 714, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 284?
The DNR lists DPA 284 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 284?
Yes. 8,313 acres, 1.5% 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 29 wildlife management areas here, the largest Ras-Lynn WMA (1,460 acres). Walk-In Access adds 4 sites (406 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 284?
1,798 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 533 deer, 377 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 Sibley County McLeod County Renville County Meeker County Nicollet County Carver County DPA 282 DPA 283 DPA 290 DPA 291 DPA 338