Deer Permit Area 297: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 297 covers 450 square miles of Mahnomen and Becker counties, around Ogema. Hunters registered 224 deer here in 2025, 195 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 10% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 9.2% of DPA 297 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (13,663 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 areasDPA 297Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Mahnomen County and Becker County |
|---|---|
| Size | 287,681 acres (450 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 224 (195 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 924 |
| Public land | 9.2% (26,487 acres) |
| WMAs | 19 (13,662 acres inside DPA 297) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Ogema, Mahnomen, Callaway, Winger, Lengby and Fosston |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 297?
The DNR registered 224 deer in DPA 297 in 2025: 195 adult bucks, 25 adult does and 4 fawns, about 0.5 deer for each of the 438 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 924 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 191 deer, about 21 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 110 hunters, 11 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 | 224 | 195 | 25 | 4 | 0.51 | 924 | 191 | 110 | 11 | 49 | 2 |
| 2024 | 204 | 169 | 27 | 8 | 0.47 | 977 | 168 | 123 | 16 | 63 | 2 |
| 2023 | 145 | 118 | 20 | 7 | 0.33 | 928 | 120 | 107 | 6 | 89 | 7 |
| 2022 | 191 | 140 | 38 | 13 | 0.44 | 976 | 156 | 91 | 11 | 89 | 10 |
| 2021 | 221 | 189 | 25 | 7 | 0.50 | 921 | 191 | 97 | 5 | 78 | 11 |
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 297 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 297?
DPA 297 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25)" 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 | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25) |
| 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 297?
26,487 of DPA 297's 287,681 acres are public land open to the public (9.2%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 13,663 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 297 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 13,663 | 4.7% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 11,803 | 4.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,021 | 0.4% |
| All public land open to the public | 26,487 | 9.2% |
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 297
DNR WMAs in DPA 297, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Vanose WMA: 2,497 acres
- Waubun WMA: 2,412 acres
- Bejou WMA: 1,936 acres
- Wambach WMA: 1,287 acres
- Spring Creek WMA: 960 acres
- Rush WMA: 813 acres
- Ogema Springs WMA: 680 acres
- Gregory WMA: 617 acres
- Dittmer WMA: 562 acres
- Santwire WMA: 538 acres
- Coburn WMA: 400 acres
- Loncrace WMA: 253 acres
- Pednor WMA: 244 acres
- Mahgre WMA: 121 acres
- Killian WMA: 80 acres
- Foot WMA: 78 acres
- Teiken-dalve WMA: 73 acres
- Warren WMA: 68 acres
- White Earth WMA: 43 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Mahnomen County Waterfowl Production Area (6,217 acres), Becker County Waterfowl Production Area (4,906 acres) and Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge (702 acres).
How do you get to DPA 297?
Highways through it: US 59 (about 37 miles inside), MN 200 (about 12 miles inside), MN 113 (about 12 miles inside) and MN 224 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Ogema, Mahnomen, Callaway, Waubun, Bejou and Beaulieu. Nearby: Winger (3 miles), Lengby (5 miles), Fosston (6 miles) and Lake Park (7 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 297?
DPA 297 touches 5 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 210 | 1,487 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 258 | 1,329 | 2025 | 15% | |
| DPA 265 | 1,177 | 2025 | 3.6% | |
| DPA 298 | 779 | 2025 | 11.1% | |
| DPA 666 | 686 | 2025 | 7.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 297 in 2025?
224 deer were registered: 195 adult bucks, 25 adult does and 4 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 224, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 297?
The DNR lists DPA 297 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (25)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 297?
Yes. 26,487 acres, 9.2% 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 19 wildlife management areas here, the largest Vanose WMA (2,497 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 297?
924 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 191 deer, 175 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 Mahnomen County Becker County DPA 210 DPA 258 DPA 265 DPA 298