Deer Permit Area 289: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 289 covers 821 square miles of Redwood, Yellow Medicine and Brown counties, around Seaforth. Hunters registered 558 deer here in 2025, 306 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. 1.3% of DPA 289 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (6,595 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 289Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Redwood County, Yellow Medicine County, Brown County and Lyon County |
|---|---|
| Size | 525,233 acres (821 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 558 (306 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,254 |
| Public land | 1.3% (6,701 acres) |
| WMAs | 22 (6,566 acres inside DPA 289) |
| Walk-In Access | 6 sites, 324 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Seaforth, Cobden, Wabasso, Walnut Grove, Belview and Sleepy Eye |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 289?
The DNR registered 558 deer in DPA 289 in 2025: 306 adult bucks, 199 adult does and 53 fawns, about 0.7 deer for each of the 815 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,254 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 404 deer, about 32 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 360 hunters, 57 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 | 558 | 306 | 199 | 53 | 0.68 | 1,254 | 404 | 360 | 57 | 246 | 73 |
| 2024 | 526 | 313 | 165 | 48 | 0.65 | 1,285 | 394 | 330 | 61 | 283 | 47 |
| 2023 | 512 | 260 | 200 | 52 | 0.63 | 1,238 | 358 | 318 | 68 | 308 | 62 |
| 2022 | 451 | 272 | 139 | 40 | 0.55 | 1,189 | 334 | 249 | 32 | 244 | 66 |
| 2021 | 396 | 253 | 115 | 28 | 0.49 | 1,180 | 305 | 229 | 31 | 245 | 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 289 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 289?
DPA 289 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 289?
6,701 of DPA 289's 525,233 acres are public land open to the public (1.3%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 6,595 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 289 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 6,595 | 1.3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 60 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 46 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,701 | 1.3% |
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 289
DNR WMAs in DPA 289, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Lamberton WMA: 1,358 acres
- Phyllis Voosen WMA: 969 acres
- Two Rivers WMA: 725 acres
- Daub's Lake WMA: 599 acres
- Lines WMA: 325 acres
- Faxvog WMA: 323 acres
- Rohlik's Slough WMA: 301 acres
- Gales WMA: 268 acres
- Westline WMA: 257 acres
- Timm's Lake WMA: 203 acres
- Willow Lake WMA: 178 acres
- Posen WMA: 155 acres
- Coal Mine Creek WMA: 146 acres
- Luescher-Barnum WMA: 130 acres
- Mammenga WMA: 121 acres
- Johnsonville WMA: 113 acres
- Sham Lake WMA: 84 acres
- Wahpeton Prairie WMA: 82 acres
- Waterbury WMA: 81 acres
- Sandy Slough WMA: 79 acres
- Sheridan WMA: 58 acres
- Neudecker WMA: 11 acres
Walk-In Access in DPA 289
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 6 sites in DPA 289, 324 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Redwood WIA #471 (77 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 289?
Highways through it: MN 68 (about 45 miles inside), MN 67 (about 29 miles inside), MN 19 (about 25 miles inside), US 14 (about 21 miles inside) and US 71 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Seaforth, Cobden, Wabasso, Vesta, Lucan and Clements. Nearby: Walnut Grove (on the line), Belview (on the line), Sleepy Eye (on the line) and Lamberton (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 289?
DPA 289 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 280 | 329 | 2025 | 2% | 19 |
| DPA 281 | 1,343 | 2025 | 2.1% | 5 |
| DPA 288 | 731 | 2025 | 3.7% | 16 |
| DPA 290 | 1,202 | 2025 | 0.9% | 5 |
| DPA 295 | 904 | 2025 | 3.2% | 10 |
| DPA 296 | 607 | 2025 | 1.4% | 8 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 289 in 2025?
558 deer were registered: 306 adult bucks, 199 adult does and 53 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 558, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 289?
The DNR lists DPA 289 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 289?
Yes. 6,701 acres, 1.3% 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 22 wildlife management areas here, the largest Lamberton WMA (1,358 acres). Walk-In Access adds 6 sites (324 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 289?
1,254 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 404 deer, 235 of them adult bucks.
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
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 Redwood County Yellow Medicine County Brown County Lyon County DPA 280 DPA 281 DPA 288 DPA 290 DPA 295 DPA 296