Deer Permit Area 647: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 647 covers 434 square miles of Fillmore, Mower and Olmsted counties, around Preston. Hunters registered 1,444 deer here in 2025, 690 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 6% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 2% of DPA 647 is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks (3,250 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 647Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Fillmore County, Mower County and Olmsted County |
|---|---|
| Size | 277,924 acres (434 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Five-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 1,444 (690 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 2,390 |
| Public land | 2% (5,576 acres) |
| WMAs | 7 (1,206 acres inside DPA 647) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Preston, Wykoff, Racine, Spring Valley, Harmony and Fountain |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 647?
The DNR registered 1,444 deer in DPA 647 in 2025: 690 adult bucks, 531 adult does and 223 fawns, about 3.3 deer for each of the 434 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 2,390 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 993 deer, about 42 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 832 hunters, 260 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 | 1,444 | 690 | 531 | 223 | 3.33 | 2,390 | 993 | 832 | 260 | 238 | 64 |
| 2024 | 1,358 | 690 | 457 | 211 | 3.13 | 2,333 | 926 | 821 | 240 | 252 | 57 |
| 2023 | 1,247 | 606 | 423 | 218 | 2.87 | 2,389 | 877 | 806 | 205 | 275 | 45 |
| 2022 | 1,196 | 584 | 416 | 196 | 2.76 | 2,265 | 874 | 784 | 179 | 287 | 51 |
| 2021 | 1,257 | 640 | 424 | 193 | 2.90 | 2,407 | 856 | 765 | 192 | 267 | 59 |
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 647 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 647?
DPA 647 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 647?
5,576 of DPA 647's 277,924 acres are public land open to the public (2%). The biggest share is state parks: 3,250 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 647 |
|---|---|---|
| State parks | 3,250 | 1.2% |
| State wildlife management areas | 1,625 | 0.6% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 679 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 22 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,576 | 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 647
DNR WMAs in DPA 647, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Seven Springs WMA: 340 acres
- Goethite WMA: 304 acres
- Chosen Valley WMA: 197 acres
- Nosek WMA: 141 acres
- Spring Valley WMA: 81 acres
- Cherry Grove WMA: 78 acres
- William Pease WMA: 65 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: R J D Memorial Hardwood State Forest (280 acres).
How do you get to DPA 647?
Highways through it: MN 16 (about 20 miles inside), US 52 (about 14 miles inside), US 63 (about 13 miles inside), MN 80 (about 8 miles inside) and MN 30 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Preston, Wykoff and Racine. Nearby: Spring Valley (on the line), Harmony (on the line), Fountain (on the line) and Chatfield (on the line).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 647?
DPA 647 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 643 | 3,469 | 2025 | 1.3% | |
| DPA 648 | 1,763 | 2025 | 4.1% | |
| DPA 655 | 451 | 2025 | 1.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 647 in 2025?
1,444 deer were registered: 690 adult bucks, 531 adult does and 223 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 1,444, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 647?
The DNR lists DPA 647 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 647?
Yes. 5,576 acres, 2% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state parks. The DNR's map shows 7 wildlife management areas here, the largest Seven Springs WMA (340 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 647?
2,390 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 993 deer, 520 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 Fillmore County Mower County Olmsted County DPA 643 DPA 648 DPA 655