Deer Permit Area 291: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 291 covers 830 square miles of Nicollet, Le Sueur and Sibley counties, around North Mankato. Hunters registered 1,896 deer here in 2025, 1,026 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 25% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 2% of DPA 291 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (5,913 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 291Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Nicollet County, Le Sueur County, Sibley County, Blue Earth County and Brown County |
|---|---|
| Size | 531,324 acres (830 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Two-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,896 (1,026 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 3,439 |
| Public land | 2% (10,699 acres) |
| WMAs | 11 (5,780 acres inside DPA 291) |
| Walk-In Access | 2 sites, 145 acres |
| Towns in and near it | North Mankato, St. Peter, Le Sueur, Lake Crystal, Green Isle and New Ulm |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 291?
The DNR registered 1,896 deer in DPA 291 in 2025: 1,026 adult bucks, 708 adult does and 162 fawns, about 2.4 deer for each of the 800 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 3,439 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,237 deer, about 36 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,395 hunters, 412 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 | 1,896 | 1,026 | 708 | 162 | 2.37 | 3,439 | 1,237 | 1,395 | 412 | 659 | 177 |
| 2024 | 1,513 | 994 | 402 | 117 | 1.89 | 3,355 | 1,008 | 1,283 | 299 | 664 | 140 |
| 2023 | 1,504 | 909 | 444 | 151 | 1.88 | 3,387 | 1,013 | 1,271 | 290 | 709 | 130 |
| 2022 | 1,346 | 865 | 388 | 93 | 1.68 | 3,336 | 932 | 1,184 | 223 | 639 | 114 |
| 2021 | 1,259 | 844 | 322 | 93 | 1.57 | 3,415 | 878 | 1,288 | 230 | 672 | 74 |
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 291 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 291?
DPA 291 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 291?
10,699 of DPA 291's 531,324 acres are public land open to the public (2%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 5,913 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 291 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 5,913 | 1.1% |
| State parks | 1,615 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,352 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,108 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 710 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 10,699 | 2% |
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 291
DNR WMAs in DPA 291, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Swan Lake WMA: 3,396 acres
- Ottawa WMA: 674 acres
- Gilfillan Lake WMA: 559 acres
- St. Thomas Lake WMA: 319 acres
- Vale WMA: 299 acres
- Bur Oak WMA: 212 acres
- Revanche WMA: 114 acres
- Cambria WMA: 82 acres
- Sigler WMA: 73 acres
- Spannaus WMA: 30 acres
- Frank Breen Memorial WMA: 22 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Sibley County Waterfowl Production Area (881 acres), Glueck Park (303 acres), Traverse Des Sioux Park (256 acres), Kiwanis Recreation Area (175 acres), Riverside Park (163 acres) and Land Of Memories Park (108 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 291
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 2 sites in DPA 291, 145 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Le Sueur WIA #802 (96 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 291?
Highways through it: US 169 (about 58 miles inside), US 14 (about 43 miles inside), MN 22 (about 35 miles inside), MN 68 (about 26 miles inside) and MN 99 (about 23 miles inside). Towns inside: North Mankato, St. Peter, Le Sueur, Courtland, Le Center and Arlington. Nearby: Lake Crystal (on the line), Green Isle (on the line), New Ulm (on the line) and Lafayette (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 291?
DPA 291 touches 7 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 230 | 549 | 2025 | 1% | |
| DPA 284 | 714 | 2025 | 1.5% | 4 |
| DPA 290 | 1,202 | 2025 | 0.9% | 5 |
| DPA 292 | 1,197 | 2025 | 2.8% | 1 |
| DPA 296 | 607 | 2025 | 1.4% | 8 |
| DPA 299 | 726 | 2025 | 1.9% | 2 |
| DPA 338 | 704 | 2025 | 1.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 291 in 2025?
1,896 deer were registered: 1,026 adult bucks, 708 adult does and 162 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,896, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 291?
The DNR lists DPA 291 as "Two-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 291?
Yes. 10,699 acres, 2% 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 11 wildlife management areas here, the largest Swan Lake WMA (3,396 acres). Walk-In Access adds 2 sites (145 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 291?
3,439 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,237 deer, 729 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 Nicollet County Le Sueur County Sibley County Blue Earth County Brown County DPA 230 DPA 284 DPA 290 DPA 292 DPA 296 DPA 299 DPA 338