Deer Permit Area 655: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 655 covers 386 square miles of Mower, Fillmore and Olmsted counties, around Stewartville. Hunters registered 451 deer here in 2025, 260 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is down 2% from 2024. 1.1% of DPA 655 is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife management areas (1,716 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 655Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Mower County, Fillmore County, Olmsted County and Dodge County |
|---|---|
| Size | 247,352 acres (386 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | Three-deer limit |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 451 (260 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 801 |
| Public land | 1.1% (2,767 acres) |
| WMAs | 10 (1,708 acres inside DPA 655) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Stewartville, Spring Valley, Dexter, Racine, Sargeant and Hayfield |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 655?
The DNR registered 451 deer in DPA 655 in 2025: 260 adult bucks, 135 adult does and 56 fawns, about 1.2 deer for each of the 387 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 801 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 298 deer, about 37 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 324 hunters, 101 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 | 451 | 260 | 135 | 56 | 1.17 | 801 | 298 | 324 | 101 | 121 | 37 |
| 2024 | 459 | 273 | 129 | 57 | 1.19 | 790 | 326 | 345 | 97 | 108 | 19 |
| 2023 | 431 | 235 | 130 | 66 | 1.11 | 778 | 327 | 309 | 72 | 111 | 16 |
| 2022 | 406 | 221 | 127 | 58 | 1.05 | 775 | 301 | 238 | 65 | 92 | 16 |
| 2021 | 487 | 253 | 147 | 87 | 1.26 | 778 | 329 | 276 | 79 | 103 | 25 |
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 655 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 655?
DPA 655 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. 15, 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. 15, 2026 |
| Muzzleloader | Nov. 28 to Dec. 13, 2026 |
| Youth 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 655?
2,767 of DPA 655's 247,352 acres are public land open to the public (1.1%). The biggest share is state wildlife management areas: 1,716 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 655 |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,716 | 0.7% |
| State parks | 851 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 192 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 8 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,767 | 1.1% |
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 655
DNR WMAs in DPA 655, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Beaver Creek WMA: 781 acres
- Cartney WMA: 481 acres
- Upper Iowa River WMA: 129 acres
- Schumann WMA: 92 acres
- Marian Marshall WMA: 59 acres
- Suess WMA: 54 acres
- Cary Creek WMA: 50 acres
- Deer Creek WMA: 40 acres
- Rustic Retreat WMA: 16 acres
- Leroy WMA: 6 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Bear Cave Park (181 acres).
How do you get to DPA 655?
Highways through it: I-90 (about 32 miles inside), MN 56 (about 19 miles inside), US 63 (about 16 miles inside), MN 16 (about 14 miles inside) and MN 30 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Stewartville, Spring Valley, Dexter, Elkton, Adams and Le Roy. Nearby: Racine (on the line), Sargeant (4 miles), Hayfield (5 miles) and Rose Creek (6 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 655?
DPA 655 touches 4 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 643 | 3,469 | 2025 | 1.3% | |
| DPA 647 | 1,444 | 2025 | 2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 655 in 2025?
451 deer were registered: 260 adult bucks, 135 adult does and 56 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 5 years shown was 487, in 2021.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 655?
The DNR lists DPA 655 as "Three-deer limit" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 655?
Yes. 2,767 acres, 1.1% 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 10 wildlife management areas here, the largest Beaver Creek WMA (781 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 655?
801 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 298 deer, 185 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 Mower County Fillmore County Olmsted County Dodge County DPA 233 DPA 255 DPA 643 DPA 647