Deer Permit Area 290: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 290 covers 665 square miles of Brown, Renville and Nicollet counties, around New Ulm. Hunters registered 1,202 deer here in 2025, 596 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is about the same as 2024. 0.9% of DPA 290 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (1,999 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 290Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Brown County, Renville County, Nicollet County, Sibley County and Redwood County |
|---|---|
| Size | 425,919 acres (665 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,202 (596 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,460 |
| Public land | 0.9% (3,997 acres) |
| WMAs | 10 (1,884 acres inside DPA 290) |
| Walk-In Access | 5 sites, 693 acres |
| Towns in and near it | New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Fairfax, Hanska, Redwood Falls and Winthrop |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 290?
The DNR registered 1,202 deer in DPA 290 in 2025: 596 adult bucks, 491 adult does and 115 fawns, about 1.8 deer for each of the 662 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,460 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 819 deer, about 33 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 747 hunters, 192 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 | 1,202 | 596 | 491 | 115 | 1.82 | 2,460 | 819 | 747 | 192 | 533 | 147 |
| 2024 | 1,206 | 646 | 446 | 114 | 1.82 | 2,454 | 840 | 773 | 192 | 553 | 131 |
| 2023 | 1,018 | 536 | 374 | 108 | 1.54 | 2,379 | 714 | 708 | 144 | 610 | 123 |
| 2022 | 1,175 | 629 | 413 | 133 | 1.77 | 2,487 | 816 | 664 | 157 | 631 | 157 |
| 2021 | 1,150 | 603 | 426 | 121 | 1.74 | 2,473 | 809 | 657 | 175 | 579 | 118 |
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 290 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 290?
DPA 290 is a "Three-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 | Three-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 290?
3,997 of DPA 290's 425,919 acres are public land open to the public (0.9%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 1,999 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 290 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,999 | 0.5% |
| State parks | 1,371 | 0.3% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 409 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 110 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 105 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,997 | 0.9% |
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 290
DNR WMAs in DPA 290, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA: 569 acres
- Fritsche Creek WMA: 386 acres
- River Valley WMA: 272 acres
- Boesch WMA: 225 acres
- Cedar Mountain WMA: 168 acres
- Grundmeyer WMA: 94 acres
- Minnriver WMA: 91 acres
- Somsen WMA: 49 acres
- Romberg WMA: 19 acres
- Windot WMA: 11 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Brown County Waterfowl Production Area Of Mn (110 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 290
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 5 sites in DPA 290, 693 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Brown WIA #323 (305 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 290?
Highways through it: MN 68 (about 27 miles inside), MN 4 (about 24 miles inside), MN 19 (about 23 miles inside), US 14 (about 18 miles inside) and MN 15 (about 15 miles inside). Towns inside: New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Fairfax, Lafayette, Morton and Evan. Nearby: Hanska (on the line), Redwood Falls (on the line), Winthrop (on the line) and Cobden (4 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 290?
DPA 290 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 281 | 1,343 | 2025 | 2.1% | 5 |
| DPA 282 | 242 | 2025 | 0.9% | 2 |
| DPA 284 | 714 | 2025 | 1.5% | 4 |
| DPA 289 | 558 | 2025 | 1.3% | 6 |
| DPA 291 | 1,896 | 2025 | 2% | 2 |
| DPA 296 | 607 | 2025 | 1.4% | 8 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 290 in 2025?
1,202 deer were registered: 596 adult bucks, 491 adult does and 115 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,206, in 2024.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 290?
The DNR lists DPA 290 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 290?
Yes. 3,997 acres, 0.9% 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 10 wildlife management areas here, the largest Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA (569 acres). Walk-In Access adds 5 sites (693 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 290?
2,460 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 819 deer, 461 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 Brown County Renville County Nicollet County Sibley County Redwood County DPA 281 DPA 282 DPA 284 DPA 289 DPA 291 DPA 296