Deer Permit Area 643: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 643 covers 665 square miles of Olmsted, Dodge and Wabasha counties, around Rochester. Hunters registered 3,469 deer here in 2025, 1,530 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 15% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.3% of DPA 643 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (2,949 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 landDPA 643Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Olmsted County, Dodge County, Wabasha County, Winona County and Goodhue County |
|---|---|
| Size | 425,532 acres (665 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Five-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 3,469 (1,530 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 4,191 |
| Public land | 1.3% (5,590 acres) |
| WMAs | 13 (2,758 acres inside DPA 643) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Rochester, Pine Island, Byron, Kasson, Stewartville and Chatfield |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 643?
The DNR registered 3,469 deer in DPA 643 in 2025: 1,530 adult bucks, 1,385 adult does and 554 fawns, about 5.2 deer for each of the 671 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 4,191 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,896 deer, about 45 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 2,653 hunters, 1,115 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 | 3,469 | 1,530 | 1,385 | 554 | 5.17 | 4,191 | 1,896 | 2,653 | 1,115 | 518 | 138 |
| 2024 | 3,028 | 1,387 | 1,133 | 508 | 4.51 | 4,074 | 1,711 | 2,554 | 971 | 517 | 110 |
| 2023 | 3,039 | 1,409 | 1,130 | 500 | 4.53 | 3,944 | 1,762 | 2,379 | 931 | 566 | 103 |
| 2022 | 1,356 | 629 | 480 | 247 | 3.86 | 1,942 | 774 | 1,066 | 418 | 282 | 52 |
| 2021 | 1,275 | 625 | 435 | 215 | 3.63 | 1,923 | 738 | 1,035 | 350 | 282 | 50 |
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 643 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 643?
DPA 643 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 643?
5,590 of DPA 643's 425,532 acres are public land open to the public (1.3%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 2,949 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 643 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,949 | 0.7% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,543 | 0.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 887 | 0.2% |
| State parks | 205 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 6 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,590 | 1.3% |
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 643
DNR WMAs in DPA 643, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Rock Dell WMA: 490 acres
- Gordon W. Yeager WMA: 490 acres
- Moon Valley WMA: 429 acres
- Haverhill WMA: 398 acres
- Vermilya WMA: 198 acres
- Keller WMA: 197 acres
- LLEIF's Land WMA: 147 acres
- Eastside WMA: 119 acres
- Nelson Fen WMA: 79 acres
- High Forest WMA: 69 acres
- Orning WMA: 66 acres
- Tri-cooperative WMA: 47 acres
- South Fork Zumbro River WMA: 29 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: R J D Memorial Hardwood State Forest (809 acres), Zumbro Park (112 acres) and Woodside Park (104 acres).
How do you get to DPA 643?
Highways through it: US 52 (about 54 miles inside), US 14 (about 53 miles inside), I-90 (about 46 miles inside), US 63 (about 31 miles inside) and MN 30 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Rochester, Pine Island, Byron, Oronoco, Plainview and Eyota. Nearby: Kasson (on the line), Stewartville (on the line), Chatfield (on the line) and St. Charles (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 643?
DPA 643 touches 10 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 233 | 652 | 2025 | 1% | |
| DPA 255 | 704 | 2025 | 0.8% | |
| DPA 293 | 775 | 2025 | 0.4% | |
| DPA 341 | 3,312 | 2025 | 3% | |
| DPA 642 | 2,077 | 2025 | 7.8% | |
| DPA 644 | 1,086 | 2025 | 26.9% | |
| DPA 645 | 1,722 | 2025 | 3.8% | |
| DPA 647 | 1,444 | 2025 | 2% | |
| DPA 648 | 1,763 | 2025 | 4.1% | |
| DPA 655 | 451 | 2025 | 1.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 643 in 2025?
3,469 deer were registered: 1,530 adult bucks, 1,385 adult does and 554 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 3,469, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 643?
The DNR lists DPA 643 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 643?
Yes. 5,590 acres, 1.3% 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 13 wildlife management areas here, the largest Rock Dell WMA (490 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 643?
4,191 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,896 deer, 952 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 Olmsted County Dodge County Wabasha County Winona County Goodhue County DPA 233 DPA 255 DPA 293 DPA 341 DPA 644 DPA 645 DPA 647 DPA 648 DPA 655