Deer Permit Area 338: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 338 covers 330 square miles of Carver, Scott and Sibley counties, around Belle Plaine. Hunters registered 704 deer here in 2025, 393 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 19% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.4% of DPA 338 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (1,957 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 areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landWalk-In AccessDPA 338Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Carver County, Scott County, Sibley County, Hennepin County and Le Sueur County |
|---|---|
| Size | 211,278 acres (330 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 704 (393 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 1,343 |
| Public land | 1.4% (3,061 acres) |
| WMAs | 14 (1,954 acres inside DPA 338) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Belle Plaine, Waconia, Watertown, Jordan, Victoria and Mayer |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 338?
The DNR registered 704 deer in DPA 338 in 2025: 393 adult bucks, 244 adult does and 67 fawns, about 2.2 deer for each of the 316 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 1,343 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 490 deer, about 36 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 747 hunters, 165 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 | 704 | 393 | 244 | 67 | 2.23 | 1,343 | 490 | 747 | 165 | 139 | 27 |
| 2024 | 594 | 373 | 161 | 60 | 1.88 | 1,320 | 392 | 696 | 145 | 178 | 35 |
| 2023 | 608 | 325 | 211 | 72 | 1.92 | 1,332 | 412 | 778 | 137 | 197 | 27 |
| 2022 | 601 | 351 | 186 | 64 | 1.90 | 1,315 | 410 | 634 | 123 | 207 | 39 |
| 2021 | 515 | 286 | 158 | 71 | 1.63 | 1,366 | 362 | 682 | 108 | 208 | 23 |
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 338 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 338?
DPA 338 is a "Three-deer limit" area for 2026. It is in the 300 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 |
| Firearm B season | Nov. 21 to Nov. 29, 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 338?
3,061 of DPA 338's 211,278 acres are public land open to the public (1.4%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 1,957 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 338 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,957 | 0.9% |
| County, city and regional land | 643 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 459 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,061 | 1.4% |
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 338
DNR WMAs in DPA 338, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Ney WMA: 613 acres
- Mahoney's Marsh WMA: 324 acres
- Schneewind WMA: 248 acres
- Karnitz WMA: 185 acres
- Michel Marsh WMA: 139 acres
- Marsh WMA: 108 acres
- Raven WMA: 72 acres
- Assumption WMA: 67 acres
- Patterson Lake WMA: 61 acres
- Faxon WMA: 41 acres
- Clark Lake WMA: 33 acres
- Pheasants Forever #3 WMA: 27 acres
- O'Brien WMA: 25 acres
- PF - Module #1 WMA: 11 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Carver County Waterfowl Production Area (220 acres), Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (204 acres) and Lake Waconia Regional Park (127 acres).
How do you get to DPA 338?
Highways through it: US 169 (about 28 miles inside), US 212 (about 21 miles inside), MN 5 (about 20 miles inside), MN 25 (about 18 miles inside) and MN 7 (about 6 miles inside). Towns inside: Belle Plaine, Waconia, Watertown, Norwood Young America, Cologne and St. Bonifacius. Nearby: Jordan (on the line), Victoria (on the line), Mayer (on the line) and New Prague (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 338?
DPA 338 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 284 | 714 | 2025 | 1.5% | 4 |
| DPA 291 | 1,896 | 2025 | 2% | 2 |
| DPA 292 | 1,197 | 2025 | 2.8% | 1 |
| DPA 601 | 2,588 | 2025 | 9.5% | |
| DPA 605 | 3,115 | 2025 | 5.5% | |
| DPA 685 | 1.2% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 338 in 2025?
704 deer were registered: 393 adult bucks, 244 adult does and 67 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 704, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 338?
The DNR lists DPA 338 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026. Firearm B season: Nov. 21 to Nov. 29, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 338?
Yes. 3,061 acres, 1.4% 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 14 wildlife management areas here, the largest Ney WMA (613 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 338?
1,343 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 490 deer, 287 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 Carver County Scott County Sibley County Hennepin County Le Sueur County DPA 284 DPA 291 DPA 292 DPA 605