Deer Permit Area 299: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 299 covers 390 square miles of Blue Earth, Watonwan and Brown counties, around Mankato. Hunters registered 726 deer here in 2025, 404 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is down 8% from 2024. 1.9% of DPA 299 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (2,525 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 299Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Blue Earth County, Watonwan County and Brown County |
|---|---|
| Size | 249,792 acres (390 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 726 (404 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,555 |
| Public land | 1.9% (4,778 acres) |
| WMAs | 10 (1,654 acres inside DPA 299) |
| Walk-In Access | 2 sites, 488 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Mankato, Lake Crystal, Good Thunder, Mapleton, Lewisville and Madelia |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 299?
The DNR registered 726 deer in DPA 299 in 2025: 404 adult bucks, 255 adult does and 67 fawns, about 1.9 deer for each of the 386 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,555 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 486 deer, about 31 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 677 hunters, 163 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 | 726 | 404 | 255 | 67 | 1.88 | 1,555 | 486 | 677 | 163 | 303 | 54 |
| 2024 | 785 | 440 | 279 | 66 | 2.03 | 1,589 | 529 | 678 | 168 | 344 | 63 |
| 2023 | 797 | 403 | 306 | 88 | 2.06 | 1,573 | 539 | 687 | 166 | 352 | 66 |
| 2022 | 654 | 405 | 199 | 50 | 1.69 | 1,540 | 460 | 532 | 114 | 321 | 69 |
| 2021 | 642 | 372 | 200 | 70 | 1.66 | 1,604 | 465 | 544 | 101 | 311 | 51 |
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 299 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 299?
DPA 299 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 |
| 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 299?
4,778 of DPA 299's 249,792 acres are public land open to the public (1.9%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 2,525 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 299 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,525 | 1% |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,839 | 0.7% |
| County, city and regional land | 401 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 13 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,778 | 1.9% |
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 299
DNR WMAs in DPA 299, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Maple River WMA: 492 acres
- O A Vee Memorial WMA: 253 acres
- Picnic Rock WMA: 181 acres
- Bergdahl WMA: 181 acres
- Evans Slough WMA: 165 acres
- Gary Clancy WMA: 162 acres
- Emerson WMA: 119 acres
- Saiki WMA: 39 acres
- Case Lake WMA: 33 acres
- Gage WMA: 29 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Blue Earth County Waterfowl Production Area (2,525 acres) and Rasmussen Woods (175 acres).
Walk-In Access in DPA 299
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 2 sites in DPA 299, 488 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Watonwan WIA #639 (428 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
How do you get to DPA 299?
Highways through it: MN 60 (about 60 miles inside), US 169 (about 33 miles inside), MN 30 (about 21 miles inside), MN 15 (about 20 miles inside) and MN 66 (about 12 miles inside). Towns inside: Mankato, Lake Crystal, Good Thunder, Vernon Center, Amboy and Skyline. Nearby: Mapleton (on the line), Lewisville (on the line), Madelia (on the line) and North Mankato (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 299?
DPA 299 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 230 | 549 | 2025 | 1% | |
| DPA 252 | 601 | 2025 | 1.3% | 7 |
| DPA 253 | 854 | 2025 | 1.2% | 1 |
| DPA 291 | 1,896 | 2025 | 2% | 2 |
| DPA 296 | 607 | 2025 | 1.4% | 8 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 299 in 2025?
726 deer were registered: 404 adult bucks, 255 adult does and 67 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 797, in 2023.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 299?
The DNR lists DPA 299 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 299?
Yes. 4,778 acres, 1.9% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas. The DNR's map shows 10 wildlife management areas here, the largest Maple River WMA (492 acres). Walk-In Access adds 2 sites (488 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 299?
1,555 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 486 deer, 302 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 Blue Earth County Watonwan County Brown County DPA 230 DPA 252 DPA 253 DPA 291 DPA 296