Deer Permit Area 646: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 646 covers 327 square miles of Winona, Houston and Fillmore counties, around La Crescent. Hunters registered 2,832 deer here in 2025, 1,266 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 13% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 6.2% of DPA 646 is public land open to the public, the largest share national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas (4,951 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 landDPA 646Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Winona County, Houston County and Fillmore County |
|---|---|
| Size | 209,397 acres (327 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Five-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 2,832 (1,266 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 3,512 |
| Public land | 6.2% (13,052 acres) |
| WMAs | 3 (1,397 acres inside DPA 646) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | La Crescent, Dakota, Homer, Rushford, Hokah and Houston |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 646?
The DNR registered 2,832 deer in DPA 646 in 2025: 1,266 adult bucks, 1,043 adult does and 523 fawns, about 8.9 deer for each of the 319 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 3,512 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,834 deer, about 52 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,396 hunters, 498 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 | 2,832 | 1,266 | 1,043 | 523 | 8.88 | 3,512 | 1,834 | 1,396 | 498 | 401 | 155 |
| 2024 | 2,504 | 1,205 | 834 | 465 | 7.85 | 3,380 | 1,670 | 1,310 | 453 | 399 | 113 |
| 2023 | 2,279 | 1,098 | 761 | 420 | 7.14 | 3,415 | 1,584 | 1,318 | 395 | 374 | 96 |
| 2022 | 2,418 | 1,122 | 869 | 427 | 7.58 | 3,390 | 1,704 | 1,219 | 366 | 461 | 107 |
| 2021 | 2,458 | 1,150 | 778 | 530 | 7.71 | 3,413 | 1,631 | 1,296 | 392 | 448 | 122 |
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 646 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 646?
DPA 646 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 646?
13,052 of DPA 646's 209,397 acres are public land open to the public (6.2%). The biggest share is national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas: 4,951 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 646 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 4,951 | 2.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 4,195 | 2% |
| State parks | 2,127 | 1% |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,675 | 0.8% |
| County, city and regional land | 103 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 13,052 | 6.2% |
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 646
DNR WMAs in DPA 646, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Root River WMA: 611 acres
- Mound Prairie WMA: 419 acres
- Rush Creek Woods WMA: 367 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge (4,956 acres) and R J D Memorial Hardwood State Forest (4,116 acres).
How do you get to DPA 646?
Highways through it: I-90 (about 52 miles inside), US 14 (about 49 miles inside), US 61 (about 49 miles inside), MN 43 (about 20 miles inside) and MN 76 (about 13 miles inside). Towns inside: La Crescent, Dakota, Homer, Dresbach and Pickwick. Nearby: Rushford (on the line), Hokah (on the line), Houston (on the line) and Winona (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 646?
DPA 646 touches 3 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 645 | 1,722 | 2025 | 3.8% | |
| DPA 648 | 1,763 | 2025 | 4.1% | |
| DPA 649 | 3,806 | 2025 | 8.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 646 in 2025?
2,832 deer were registered: 1,266 adult bucks, 1,043 adult does and 523 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 2,832, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 646?
The DNR lists DPA 646 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 646?
Yes. 13,052 acres, 6.2% 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 3 wildlife management areas here, the largest Root River WMA (611 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 646?
3,512 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,834 deer, 898 of them adult bucks.
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
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 Winona County Houston County Fillmore County DPA 645 DPA 648 DPA 649