Deer Permit Area 298: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 298 covers 677 square miles of Becker, Mahnomen and Clearwater counties, around Rice Lake. Hunters registered 779 deer here in 2025, 675 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 16% from 2024. 11.1% of DPA 298 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (44,658 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 parksDPA 298Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Becker County, Mahnomen County and Clearwater County |
|---|---|
| Size | 433,423 acres (677 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (250) |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 779 (675 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,940 |
| Public land | 11.1% (48,137 acres) |
| WMAs | 16 (1,985 acres inside DPA 298) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Rice Lake, Pine Point, Naytahwaush, Lengby, Bagley and Callaway |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 298?
The DNR registered 779 deer in DPA 298 in 2025: 675 adult bucks, 76 adult does and 28 fawns, about 1.3 deer for each of the 618 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,940 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 685 deer, about 23 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 324 hunters, 37 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 | 779 | 675 | 76 | 28 | 1.26 | 2,940 | 685 | 324 | 37 | 149 | 15 |
| 2024 | 671 | 581 | 69 | 21 | 1.09 | 2,920 | 607 | 335 | 24 | 164 | 11 |
| 2023 | 491 | 413 | 58 | 20 | 0.79 | 2,949 | 436 | 332 | 19 | 154 | 9 |
| 2022 | 540 | 393 | 108 | 39 | 0.87 | 2,998 | 465 | 288 | 23 | 176 | 15 |
| 2021 | 880 | 585 | 205 | 90 | 1.42 | 3,263 | 769 | 329 | 40 | 219 | 31 |
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 298 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 298?
DPA 298 is a "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (250)" 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 (250) |
| 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 298?
48,137 of DPA 298's 433,423 acres are public land open to the public (11.1%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 44,658 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 298 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 44,658 | 10.3% |
| State wildlife management areas | 2,624 | 0.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 855 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 48,137 | 11.1% |
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 298
DNR WMAs in DPA 298, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Lower Rice WMA: 441 acres
- Callaway WMA: 317 acres
- Budde Meadows WMA: 282 acres
- Beaulieu WMA: 280 acres
- Perch Lake WMA: 252 acres
- Mosquito Creek WMA: 82 acres
- Little Rock Lake WMA: 40 acres
- Wapatus Lake WMA: 40 acres
- Island Lake Fmha WMA: 40 acres
- Little Bass Lake WMA: 36 acres
- Mckenzie Lake WMA: 35 acres
- Roy Lake WMA: 35 acres
- Pickerel Lake WMA: 34 acres
- Island Lake WMA: 33 acres
- Upper Camp Lake WMA: 22 acres
- Sugarbush Lake WMA: 16 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: White Earth State Forest (34,314 acres), Two Inlets State Forest (2,411 acres), Mahnomen County Waterfowl Production Area (639 acres), Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge (117 acres) and Becker County Waterfowl Production Area (100 acres).
How do you get to DPA 298?
Highways through it: MN 113 (about 23 miles inside) and MN 200 (about 12 miles inside). Towns inside: Rice Lake, Pine Point, Naytahwaush, Twin Lakes, Midway and South End. Nearby: Lengby (on the line), Bagley (2 miles), Callaway (3 miles) and Ogema (3 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 298?
DPA 298 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 210 | 1,487 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 251 | 103 | 2025 | 99.6% | |
| DPA 258 | 1,329 | 2025 | 15% | |
| DPA 287 | 85 | 2025 | 92.8% | |
| DPA 297 | 224 | 2025 | 9.2% | |
| DPA 684 | 3,267 | 2025 | 9.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 298 in 2025?
779 deer were registered: 675 adult bucks, 76 adult does and 28 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 880, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 298?
The DNR lists DPA 298 as "One-deer limit: antlerless permit lottery (250)" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 298?
Yes. 48,137 acres, 11.1% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state forest and other DNR land. The DNR's map shows 16 wildlife management areas here, the largest Lower Rice WMA (441 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 298?
2,940 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 685 deer, 617 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 Becker County Mahnomen County Clearwater County DPA 210 DPA 251 DPA 258 DPA 287 DPA 297 DPA 684