Deer Permit Area 286: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 286 covers 458 square miles of Lincoln County, around Tyler. Hunters registered 588 deer here in 2025, 365 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 18% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 4.1% of DPA 286 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (8,915 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasWalk-In AccessDPA 286Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Lincoln County |
|---|---|
| Size | 293,359 acres (458 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 588 (365 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,551 |
| Public land | 4.1% (11,986 acres) |
| WMAs | 55 (8,767 acres inside DPA 286) |
| Walk-In Access | 30 sites, 2,887 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Tyler, Hendricks, Ivanhoe, Lake Benton, Porter and Florence |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 286?
The DNR registered 588 deer in DPA 286 in 2025: 365 adult bucks, 180 adult does and 43 fawns, about 1.3 deer for each of the 446 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,551 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 439 deer, about 28 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 279 hunters, 50 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 | 588 | 365 | 180 | 43 | 1.32 | 1,551 | 439 | 279 | 50 | 247 | 71 |
| 2024 | 497 | 349 | 119 | 29 | 1.11 | 1,471 | 361 | 278 | 56 | 273 | 53 |
| 2023 | 436 | 272 | 120 | 44 | 0.98 | 1,371 | 341 | 237 | 34 | 294 | 50 |
| 2022 | 489 | 317 | 131 | 41 | 1.10 | 1,470 | 378 | 252 | 45 | 273 | 50 |
| 2021 | 521 | 339 | 155 | 27 | 1.17 | 1,450 | 425 | 207 | 30 | 291 | 48 |
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 286 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 286?
DPA 286 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 286?
11,986 of DPA 286's 293,359 acres are public land open to the public (4.1%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 8,915 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 286 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 8,915 | 3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 3,071 | 1% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,986 | 4.1% |
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 286
DNR WMAs in DPA 286, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Anderson Lake WMA: 591 acres
- Hopeful WMA: 587 acres
- Shaokatan WMA: 487 acres
- Chen Bay WMA: 414 acres
- Ivanhoe WMA: 382 acres
- Coot WMA: 348 acres
- Richard J. Dorer WMA: 337 acres
- Ash Lake WMA: 300 acres
- Poposki WMA: 287 acres
- Chain-O-Sloughs WMA: 281 acres
- Rost WMA: 250 acres
- Herschberger WMA: 242 acres
- Tyler WMA: 239 acres
- Bosque WMA: 220 acres
- Kvernmo WMA: 205 acres
- Prairie Dell WMA: 204 acres
- Archerville WMA: 196 acres
- Weeks WMA: 190 acres
- Bohemian WMA: 188 acres
- Legacy WMA: 165 acres
- Thostenson WMA: 161 acres
- Antler WMA: 152 acres
- Sokota WMA: 142 acres
- Discors WMA: 140 acres
- Minn-kota WMA: 138 acres
- Coon Creek WMA: 133 acres
- Clare Johnson WMA: 124 acres
- Hendricks WMA: 116 acres
- Blue Wing WMA: 108 acres
- Rogge WMA: 105 acres
- Dead Coon Marshes WMA: 101 acres
- Collinson WMA: 87 acres
- Salix WMA: 86 acres
- Platyrchnchos WMA: 84 acres
- Sioux Lookout WMA: 83 acres
- Bossuyt WMA: 82 acres
- Colinoso WMA: 80 acres
- Marshfield WMA: 78 acres
- Emerald WMA: 77 acres
- Boone Slough WMA: 74 acres
And 15 smaller ones.
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Lincoln County Waterfowl Production Area (1,895 acres) and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (1,178 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 286
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 30 sites in DPA 286, 2,887 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Lincoln WIA #211 (192 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 286?
Highways through it: US 75 (about 26 miles inside), MN 19 (about 20 miles inside), MN 271 (about 9 miles inside), US 14 (about 6 miles inside) and MN 68 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Tyler, Hendricks, Ivanhoe and Arco. Nearby: Lake Benton (on the line), Porter (on the line), Florence (on the line) and Taunton (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 286?
DPA 286 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 279 | 397 | 2025 | 4.7% | 15 |
| DPA 280 | 329 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
| DPA 288 | 731 | 2025 | 3.7% | 16 |
| DPA 294 | 472 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 286 in 2025?
588 deer were registered: 365 adult bucks, 180 adult does and 43 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 588, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 286?
The DNR lists DPA 286 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 286?
Yes. 11,986 acres, 4.1% 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 55 wildlife management areas here, the largest Anderson Lake WMA (591 acres). Walk-In Access adds 30 sites (2,887 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 286?
1,551 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 439 deer, 282 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 Lincoln County DPA 279 DPA 280 DPA 288 DPA 294