Deer Permit Area 604: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 604 covers 826 square miles of Crow Wing, Cass and Aitkin counties, around Crosslake. Hunters registered 3,509 deer here in 2025, 1,746 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 11% from 2024. 4.1% of DPA 604 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (17,100 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 604Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Crow Wing County, Cass County and Aitkin County |
|---|---|
| Size | 528,456 acres (826 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 3,509 (1,746 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 7,898 |
| Public land | 4.1% (21,856 acres) |
| WMAs | 10 (1,633 acres inside DPA 604) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Crosslake, Baxter, Pequot Lakes, Chickamaw Beach, Emily and Fifty Lakes |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 604?
The DNR registered 3,509 deer in DPA 604 in 2025: 1,746 adult bucks, 1,193 adult does and 570 fawns, about 5.2 deer for each of the 673 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 7,898 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 2,530 deer, about 32 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 2,518 hunters, 773 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 | 3,509 | 1,746 | 1,193 | 570 | 5.21 | 7,898 | 2,530 | 2,518 | 773 | 466 | 90 |
| 2024 | 3,167 | 1,588 | 1,080 | 499 | 4.71 | 7,756 | 2,384 | 2,466 | 639 | 535 | 65 |
| 2023 | 3,074 | 1,439 | 1,129 | 506 | 4.57 | 7,939 | 2,481 | 2,434 | 474 | 537 | 46 |
| 2022 | 3,528 | 1,465 | 1,407 | 656 | 5.24 | 8,357 | 2,658 | 2,432 | 570 | 583 | 86 |
| 2021 | 4,307 | 1,684 | 1,723 | 900 | 6.40 | 8,626 | 3,116 | 2,548 | 682 | 641 | 110 |
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 604 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 604?
DPA 604 is a "Three-deer limit" area for 2026. It is in the 600 series, which sets its firearms dates. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 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. 22, 2026 |
| Muzzleloader | Nov. 28 to Dec. 13, 2026 |
| Youth season | Oct. 15 to Oct. 18, 2026 |
| Disease management | CWD management zone |
| CWD testing | Optional CWD testing available |
| Carcass movement | Carcass disposal rule in effect |
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 604?
21,856 of DPA 604's 528,456 acres are public land open to the public (4.1%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 17,100 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 604 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 17,100 | 3.2% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,662 | 0.7% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 486 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 337 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 269 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 21,856 | 4.1% |
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 604
DNR WMAs in DPA 604, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Indian Jack Lake WMA: 320 acres
- Kim Hennings WMA: 275 acres
- Lower Dean WMA: 243 acres
- Loerch WMA: 207 acres
- Lowell WMA: 158 acres
- Mission Lake WMA: 147 acres
- Uppgaard WMA: 111 acres
- Cedar Lake WMA: 97 acres
- Upper Dean WMA: 40 acres
- Farm Island Lake WMA: 35 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Crow Wing State Forest (6,542 acres), Emily State Forest (640 acres), Northland Arboretum (495 acres), Pillsbury State Forest (414 acres) and Waukenabo State Forest (178 acres).
How do you get to DPA 604?
Highways through it: MN 371 (about 53 miles inside), MN 210 (about 43 miles inside), MN 6 (about 22 miles inside), MN 18 (about 10 miles inside) and US 169 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Crosslake, Baxter, Pequot Lakes, Lake Shore, Brainerd and Breezy Point. Nearby: Chickamaw Beach (on the line), Emily (on the line), Fifty Lakes (2 miles) and Garrison (4 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 604?
DPA 604 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 155 | 1,134 | 2025 | 21.5% | |
| DPA 171 | 1,165 | 2025 | 38.5% | |
| DPA 172 | 1,687 | 2025 | 29.8% | |
| DPA 246 | 3,143 | 2025 | 13.1% | |
| DPA 248 | 1,109 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| DPA 249 | 3,126 | 2025 | 4.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 604 in 2025?
3,509 deer were registered: 1,746 adult bucks, 1,193 adult does and 570 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 4,307, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 604?
The DNR lists DPA 604 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 604?
Yes. 21,856 acres, 4.1% 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 10 wildlife management areas here, the largest Indian Jack Lake WMA (320 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 604?
7,898 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 2,530 deer, 1,378 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 Crow Wing County Cass County Aitkin County DPA 155 DPA 171 DPA 172 DPA 246 DPA 248 DPA 249