Deer Permit Area 679: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 679 covers 1,139 square miles of Itasca, Aitkin and Cass counties, around Taconite. Hunters registered 2,146 deer here in 2025, 1,238 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 11% from 2024. 20.3% of DPA 679 is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (76,704 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 forestOther federal landState parksCounty, city and regional landDPA 679Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Itasca County, Aitkin County and Cass County |
|---|---|
| Size | 728,754 acres (1,139 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 2,146 (1,238 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 8,204 |
| Public land | 20.3% (147,844 acres) |
| WMAs | 8 (1,874 acres inside DPA 679) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Taconite, Cohasset, Grand Rapids, Nashwauk, Hill City and Remer |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 679?
The DNR registered 2,146 deer in DPA 679 in 2025: 1,238 adult bucks, 635 adult does and 273 fawns, about 2.1 deer for each of the 1,024 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 8,204 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 1,848 deer, about 23 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,358 hunters, 176 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 | 2,146 | 1,238 | 635 | 273 | 2.10 | 8,204 | 1,848 | 1,358 | 176 | 407 | 47 |
| 2024 | 1,929 | 1,086 | 613 | 230 | 1.88 | 8,178 | 1,672 | 1,321 | 147 | 419 | 50 |
| 2023 | 2,046 | 1,044 | 757 | 245 | 2.00 | 8,196 | 1,787 | 1,374 | 154 | 460 | 42 |
| 2022 | 3,157 | 1,232 | 1,381 | 544 | 3.08 | 8,749 | 2,688 | 1,382 | 259 | 549 | 87 |
Source: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022: 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 679 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 679?
DPA 679 is a "One-deer limit: either sex" area for 2026. It is in the 600 series, which sets its firearms dates. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
| Season | 2026 dates or rule |
|---|---|
| Bag limit designation | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Archery | Sept. 19 to Dec. 31, 2026 |
| Firearm A season | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Muzzleloader | Nov. 28 to Dec. 13, 2026 |
| Youth season | Oct. 15 to Oct. 18, 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 679?
147,844 of DPA 679's 728,754 acres are public land open to the public (20.3%). The biggest share is national forest: 76,704 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 679 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 76,704 | 10.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 67,964 | 9.3% |
| State wildlife management areas | 2,468 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 397 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 185 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 126 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 147,844 | 20.3% |
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 679
DNR WMAs in DPA 679, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Prairie Lake Deer Yard WMA: 790 acres
- Swan River Deer Yard WMA: 365 acres
- Bass Brook WMA: 300 acres
- Little Hill River WMA: 274 acres
- Trout Lake Eagle WMA: 57 acres
- Willow Lake Deer Yard WMA: 40 acres
- Balsam-Deer Islands WMA: 36 acres
- Nisbett Island WMA: 12 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Chippewa National Forest (76,885 acres), Bowstring State Forest (13,985 acres), Savanna State Forest (6,767 acres), Hill River State Forest (5,742 acres), George Washington State Forest (4,190 acres), Remer State Forest (1,867 acres), Golden Anniversary State Forest (1,833 acres) and American Legion Memorial Park (207 acres).
How do you get to DPA 679?
Highways through it: US 169 (about 45 miles inside), US 2 (about 40 miles inside), MN 6 (about 24 miles inside), MN 65 (about 19 miles inside) and MN 200 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Taconite, Cohasset, Grand Rapids, Coleraine, Marble and Warba. Nearby: Nashwauk (on the line), Hill City (on the line), Remer (on the line) and Keewatin (4 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 679?
DPA 679 touches 7 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 169 | 927 | 2025 | 46.4% | |
| DPA 171 | 1,165 | 2025 | 38.5% | |
| DPA 172 | 1,687 | 2025 | 29.8% | |
| DPA 173 | 528 | 2025 | 38% | |
| DPA 176 | 599 | 2025 | 30.6% | |
| DPA 178 | 1,521 | 2025 | 13.8% | |
| DPA 197 | 1,098 | 2025 | 48.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 679 in 2025?
2,146 deer were registered: 1,238 adult bucks, 635 adult does and 273 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 4 years shown was 3,157, in 2022.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 679?
The DNR lists DPA 679 as "One-deer limit: either sex" for 2026. Firearm A season: Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026.
Is there public land to hunt in DPA 679?
Yes. 147,844 acres, 20.3% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly national forest. The DNR's map shows 8 wildlife management areas here, the largest Prairie Lake Deer Yard WMA (790 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 679?
8,204 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 1,848 deer, 1,099 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 Itasca County Aitkin County Cass County DPA 169 DPA 171 DPA 172 DPA 173 DPA 176 DPA 178 DPA 197