Deer Permit Area 605: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 605 covers 1,230 square miles of Dakota, Rice and Scott counties, around Lakeville. Hunters registered 3,115 deer here in 2025, 1,495 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. 5.5% of DPA 605 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (16,610 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 areasOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landWalk-In AccessDPA 605Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Dakota County, Rice County, Scott County, Goodhue County and Le Sueur County |
|---|---|
| Size | 787,008 acres (1,230 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Five-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 3,115 (1,495 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 4,902 |
| Public land | 5.5% (43,088 acres) |
| WMAs | 24 (15,914 acres inside DPA 605) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Lakeville, Rosemount, Empire, Carver, Eagan and Red Wing |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 605?
The DNR registered 3,115 deer in DPA 605 in 2025: 1,495 adult bucks, 1,139 adult does and 481 fawns, about 2.6 deer for each of the 1,192 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 4,902 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,682 deer, about 34 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 3,561 hunters, 1,070 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 | 3,115 | 1,495 | 1,139 | 481 | 2.61 | 4,902 | 1,682 | 3,561 | 1,070 | 441 | 101 |
| 2024 | 2,826 | 1,374 | 1,006 | 446 | 2.37 | 4,821 | 1,616 | 3,547 | 919 | 487 | 77 |
| 2023 | 2,821 | 1,279 | 1,034 | 508 | 2.37 | 4,663 | 1,606 | 3,398 | 908 | 535 | 114 |
| 2022 | 2,932 | 1,326 | 1,104 | 502 | 2.46 | 4,856 | 1,720 | 3,255 | 819 | 544 | 152 |
| 2021 | 2,797 | 1,269 | 1,050 | 478 | 2.35 | 4,866 | 1,576 | 3,157 | 801 | 604 | 104 |
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 605 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 605?
DPA 605 is a "Five-deer limit" area for 2026. It is in the 600 series, which sets its firearms dates. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
| Season | 2026 dates or rule |
|---|---|
| Bag limit designation | Five-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 |
| Early antlerless season | Oct. 15 to Oct. 18, 2026 |
| Late season | Dec. 18 to 20, 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 605?
43,088 of DPA 605's 787,008 acres are public land open to the public (5.5%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 16,610 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 605 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 16,610 | 2.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 15,896 | 2% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 5,335 | 0.7% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 3,149 | 0.4% |
| State parks | 1,630 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 279 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 189 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 43,088 | 5.5% |
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 605
DNR WMAs in DPA 605, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Gores Pool #3 WMA: 6,947 acres
- Vermillion Highlands Research Recreation and WMA: 2,841 acres
- Vermillion River WMA: 1,494 acres
- Bradshaw Lake WMA: 789 acres
- Prairie Creek WMA: 762 acres
- Sanborn Lake WMA: 549 acres
- Circle Lake WMA: 263 acres
- Warsaw WMA: 244 acres
- Milest WMA: 216 acres
- Hampton Woods WMA: 208 acres
- Chub Lake WMA: 203 acres
- Sunktokeca Creek WMA: 202 acres
- Robert J. Lick WMA: 194 acres
- Phelps Lake WMA: 171 acres
- Mud Creek WMA: 157 acres
- Peat Bog WMA: 154 acres
- Cannon River Trout Lily WMA: 129 acres
- Big Woods Heritage Forest WMA: 127 acres
- St. Patrick's WMA: 87 acres
- Paulson Marsh WMA: 62 acres
- Esker WMA: 48 acres
- Hastings WMA: 40 acres
- Spartina WMA: 17 acres
- Lois Bean Illsley WMA: 10 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (4,677 acres), Murphy-Hanrehan (2,026 acres), Lebanon Hills Regional Park (1,963 acres), Cleary Lake (1,125 acres), River Bend Nature Center (752 acres), R J D Memorial Hardwood State Forest (687 acres), Cowling - Lower Arboretum (626 acres) and Rice County Waterfowl Production Area (490 acres).
How do you get to DPA 605?
Highways through it: I-35 (about 85 miles inside), MN 13 (about 68 miles inside), US 52 (about 47 miles inside), MN 19 (about 44 miles inside) and MN 3 (about 41 miles inside). Towns inside: Lakeville, Rosemount, Empire, Shakopee, Burnsville and Credit River. Nearby: Carver (on the line), Eagan (2 miles), Red Wing (2 miles) and Heidelberg (2 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 605?
DPA 605 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 292 | 1,197 | 2025 | 2.8% | 1 |
| DPA 293 | 775 | 2025 | 0.4% | |
| DPA 338 | 704 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| DPA 341 | 3,312 | 2025 | 3% | |
| DPA 601 | 2,588 | 2025 | 9.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 605 in 2025?
3,115 deer were registered: 1,495 adult bucks, 1,139 adult does and 481 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 3,115, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 605?
The DNR lists DPA 605 as "Five-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 605?
Yes. 43,088 acres, 5.5% 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 24 wildlife management areas here, the largest Gores Pool #3 WMA (6,947 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 605?
4,902 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,682 deer, 923 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 Dakota County Rice County Scott County Goodhue County Le Sueur County Washington County DPA 292 DPA 293 DPA 338 DPA 341