Deer Permit Area 292: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 292 covers 393 square miles of Le Sueur, Rice and Blue Earth counties, around Waterville. Hunters registered 1,197 deer here in 2025, 633 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 4% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 2.8% of DPA 292 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (5,781 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 landLand trusts and other open landWalk-In AccessDPA 292Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Le Sueur County, Rice County and Blue Earth County |
|---|---|
| Size | 251,658 acres (393 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,197 (633 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,579 |
| Public land | 2.8% (7,038 acres) |
| WMAs | 20 (5,088 acres inside DPA 292) |
| Walk-In Access | 1 site, 61 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Waterville, Elysian, Heidelberg, Morristown, Le Center and Cleveland |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 292?
The DNR registered 1,197 deer in DPA 292 in 2025: 633 adult bucks, 437 adult does and 127 fawns, about 3.3 deer for each of the 362 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,579 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 831 deer, about 32 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 960 hunters, 249 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 | 1,197 | 633 | 437 | 127 | 3.31 | 2,579 | 831 | 960 | 249 | 435 | 89 |
| 2024 | 1,149 | 640 | 371 | 138 | 3.17 | 2,576 | 800 | 988 | 220 | 520 | 95 |
| 2023 | 1,088 | 572 | 385 | 131 | 3.01 | 2,403 | 713 | 966 | 233 | 610 | 106 |
| 2022 | 1,022 | 521 | 352 | 149 | 2.82 | 2,556 | 691 | 910 | 192 | 560 | 113 |
| 2021 | 955 | 530 | 321 | 104 | 2.64 | 2,492 | 660 | 905 | 175 | 575 | 81 |
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 292 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 292?
DPA 292 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 |
| CWD testing | Optional CWD testing available |
Source: Minnesota DNR deer permit areas, 2026 seasons (July 2026 - June 2027). Check the DNR's regulations before you go: dates and limits can change during the year.
How much public land is in DPA 292?
7,038 of DPA 292's 251,658 acres are public land open to the public (2.8%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 5,781 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 292 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 5,781 | 2.3% |
| State parks | 732 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 277 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 199 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 47 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 7,038 | 2.8% |
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 292
DNR WMAs in DPA 292, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Boyd Sartell WMA: 1,367 acres
- Dora Lake WMA: 742 acres
- Diamond Lake WMA: 340 acres
- Sheas Lake WMA: 321 acres
- Factor WMA: 287 acres
- Cannon River WMA: 270 acres
- Dove Lake WMA: 258 acres
- Cordova WMA: 222 acres
- Murphy WMA: 212 acres
- Paddy Marsh WMA: 189 acres
- Chadderdon WMA: 133 acres
- Seha WMA: 132 acres
- Shanghai Lake WMA: 115 acres
- Earl Swain WMA: 105 acres
- Anton Velishek Memorial WMA: 80 acres
- Bardel's Marsh WMA: 78 acres
- Gray Fox WMA: 76 acres
- Sakatah WMA: 56 acres
- Dwyer WMA: 56 acres
- Carl and Verna Schmidt WMA: 49 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Lesueur County Waterfowl Production Area (277 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 292
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 1 site in DPA 292, 61 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31: Le Sueur WIA #599. DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 292?
Highways through it: MN 60 (about 20 miles inside), MN 99 (about 18 miles inside), MN 13 (about 18 miles inside), I-35 (about 7 miles inside) and MN 21 (about 6 miles inside). Towns inside: Waterville, Elysian, Heidelberg, Kilkenny and Warsaw. Nearby: Morristown (on the line), Le Center (on the line), Cleveland (on the line) and Montgomery (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 292?
DPA 292 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 230 | 549 | 2025 | 1% | |
| DPA 232 | 745 | 2025 | 2.1% | |
| DPA 291 | 1,896 | 2025 | 2% | 2 |
| DPA 293 | 775 | 2025 | 0.4% | |
| DPA 338 | 704 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| DPA 605 | 3,115 | 2025 | 5.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 292 in 2025?
1,197 deer were registered: 633 adult bucks, 437 adult does and 127 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,197, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 292?
The DNR lists DPA 292 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 292?
Yes. 7,038 acres, 2.8% 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 20 wildlife management areas here, the largest Boyd Sartell WMA (1,367 acres). Walk-In Access adds 1 site (61 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 292?
2,579 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 831 deer, 497 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 Le Sueur County Rice County Blue Earth County DPA 230 DPA 232 DPA 291 DPA 293 DPA 338 DPA 605