Deer Permit Area 288: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 288 covers 629 square miles of Lyon County, around Marshall. Hunters registered 731 deer here in 2025, 459 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 15% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 3.7% of DPA 288 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (10,868 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 288Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Lyon County |
|---|---|
| Size | 402,785 acres (629 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 731 (459 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,850 |
| Public land | 3.7% (14,977 acres) |
| WMAs | 39 (10,760 acres inside DPA 288) |
| Walk-In Access | 16 sites, 1,379 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Marshall, Tracy, Minneota, Florence, Balaton and Garvin |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 288?
The DNR registered 731 deer in DPA 288 in 2025: 459 adult bucks, 231 adult does and 41 fawns, about 1.2 deer for each of the 625 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,850 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 518 deer, about 28 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 521 hunters, 101 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 | 731 | 459 | 231 | 41 | 1.17 | 1,850 | 518 | 521 | 101 | 317 | 68 |
| 2024 | 634 | 459 | 134 | 41 | 1.01 | 1,815 | 452 | 588 | 99 | 329 | 47 |
| 2023 | 556 | 344 | 172 | 40 | 0.89 | 1,793 | 405 | 581 | 86 | 379 | 40 |
| 2022 | 626 | 383 | 196 | 47 | 1.00 | 1,836 | 416 | 500 | 94 | 378 | 88 |
| 2021 | 664 | 453 | 158 | 53 | 1.06 | 1,843 | 489 | 547 | 83 | 370 | 56 |
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 288 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 288?
DPA 288 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 288?
14,977 of DPA 288's 402,785 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 10,868 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 288 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 10,868 | 2.7% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,030 | 0.5% |
| State parks | 1,803 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 144 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 132 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 14,977 | 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 288
DNR WMAs in DPA 288, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Coon Creek WMA: 969 acres
- Amiret WMA: 937 acres
- Meadow Creek WMA: 858 acres
- Green Valley WMA: 793 acres
- Vallers WMA: 771 acres
- Sodus WMA: 756 acres
- Lyons WMA: 572 acres
- Prairie Marshes WMA: 493 acres
- Sioux Prairie WMA: 442 acres
- Grandview WMA: 437 acres
- Clifton WMA: 381 acres
- SE Clifton WMA: 371 acres
- Rolling Hills WMA: 356 acres
- Jacobson WMA: 290 acres
- Brakke WMA: 269 acres
- Brawner Lake WMA: 258 acres
- Lyndwood WMA: 168 acres
- Bue-tiful Acres WMA: 168 acres
- Elmer Weltz WMA: 161 acres
- Tillemans WMA: 155 acres
- Furgamme WMA: 152 acres
- Rooster Flats WMA: 126 acres
- Deer Lane WMA: 117 acres
- Gabriel Anderson WMA: 103 acres
- Rock Lake Marsh WMA: 100 acres
- Bosque WMA: 70 acres
- Ringneck Ravine WMA: 69 acres
- Good Medicine WMA: 57 acres
- Lyrock WMA: 55 acres
- Deutz WMA: 42 acres
- Richard Dwire WMA: 40 acres
- Redwood WMA: 40 acres
- Hoffman Creek WMA: 37 acres
- Russell WMA: 35 acres
- Gadwall WMA: 32 acres
- Lake Yankton WMA: 22 acres
- Dayland Marsh WMA: 21 acres
- Happy Hollow WMA: 19 acres
- White Prairie WMA: 18 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Lyon County Waterfowl Production Area (1,799 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 288
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 16 sites in DPA 288, 1,379 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Lyon WIA #858 (176 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 288?
Highways through it: MN 23 (about 46 miles inside), US 59 (about 28 miles inside), MN 68 (about 28 miles inside), MN 19 (about 24 miles inside) and US 14 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Marshall, Tracy, Minneota, Lynd, Taunton and Cottonwood. Nearby: Florence (on the line), Balaton (on the line), Garvin (2 miles) and Milroy (2 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 288?
DPA 288 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 280 | 329 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
| DPA 286 | 588 | 2025 | 4.1% | 30 |
| DPA 289 | 558 | 2025 | 1.3% | 6 |
| DPA 294 | 472 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
| DPA 295 | 904 | 2025 | 3.2% | 10 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 288 in 2025?
731 deer were registered: 459 adult bucks, 231 adult does and 41 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 731, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 288?
The DNR lists DPA 288 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 288?
Yes. 14,977 acres, 3.7% 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 39 wildlife management areas here, the largest Coon Creek WMA (969 acres). Walk-In Access adds 16 sites (1,379 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 288?
1,850 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 518 deer, 341 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 Lyon County DPA 280 DPA 286 DPA 289 DPA 294 DPA 295