Deer Permit Area 293: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 293 covers 278 square miles of Goodhue, Rice and Dodge counties, near West Concord. Hunters registered 775 deer here in 2025, 402 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 9% from 2024. 0.4% of DPA 293 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (682 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 landState parksCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landDPA 293Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Goodhue County, Rice County, Dodge County and Steele County |
|---|---|
| Size | 178,098 acres (278 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 775 (402 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,307 |
| Public land | 0.4% (753 acres) |
| WMAs | 1 (681 acres inside DPA 293) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | West Concord, Wanamingo and Medford |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 293?
The DNR registered 775 deer in DPA 293 in 2025: 402 adult bucks, 288 adult does and 85 fawns, about 2.8 deer for each of the 278 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,307 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 542 deer, about 41 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 505 hunters, 139 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 | 775 | 402 | 288 | 85 | 2.79 | 1,307 | 542 | 505 | 139 | 225 | 73 |
| 2024 | 711 | 380 | 239 | 92 | 2.56 | 1,290 | 476 | 534 | 155 | 231 | 56 |
| 2023 | 781 | 410 | 234 | 137 | 2.81 | 1,282 | 524 | 549 | 151 | 287 | 84 |
| 2022 | 780 | 410 | 271 | 99 | 2.81 | 1,277 | 494 | 477 | 155 | 320 | 107 |
| 2021 | 779 | 442 | 251 | 86 | 2.80 | 1,326 | 516 | 496 | 155 | 305 | 75 |
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 293 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 293?
DPA 293 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 293?
753 of DPA 293's 178,098 acres are public land open to the public (0.4%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 682 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 293 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 682 | 0.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 64 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 7 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 753 | 0.4% |
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 293
DNR WMAs in DPA 293, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Faribault WMA: 681 acres
How do you get to DPA 293?
Highways through it: MN 60 (about 15 miles inside), MN 56 (about 14 miles inside), US 52 (about 13 miles inside), MN 57 (about 11 miles inside) and I-35 (about 3 miles inside). Nearby: West Concord (on the line), Wanamingo (on the line), Medford (on the line) and Kenyon (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 293?
DPA 293 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 232 | 745 | 2025 | 2.1% | |
| DPA 233 | 652 | 2025 | 1% | |
| DPA 292 | 1,197 | 2025 | 2.8% | 1 |
| DPA 341 | 3,312 | 2025 | 3% | |
| DPA 605 | 3,115 | 2025 | 5.5% | |
| DPA 643 | 3,469 | 2025 | 1.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 293 in 2025?
775 deer were registered: 402 adult bucks, 288 adult does and 85 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 781, in 2023.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 293?
The DNR lists DPA 293 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 293?
Yes. 753 acres, 0.4% 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 one wildlife management area here, Faribault WMA (681 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 293?
1,307 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 542 deer, 314 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 Goodhue County Rice County Dodge County Steele County DPA 232 DPA 233 DPA 292 DPA 341 DPA 605 DPA 643