Deer Permit Area 684: deer harvest, seasons and public land
Minnesota's Deer Permit Area 684 covers 1,326 square miles of Beltrami, Hubbard and Clearwater counties, around Bemidji. Hunters registered 3,267 deer here in 2025, 2,101 of them adult bucks, by the DNR's 2025 Deer Harvest Report. That is up 8% from 2024, and the most in the 3 years shown. 9.6% of DPA 684 is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (55,185 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 684Neighboring deer permit areasLakeHighway
| Counties | Beltrami County, Hubbard County, Clearwater County and Becker County |
|---|---|
| Size | 848,869 acres (1,326 square miles) |
| 2026 bag limit | One-deer limit: either sex |
| Firearm A season, 2026 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 3,267 (2,101 adult bucks) |
| Firearms hunters, 2025 | 10,495 |
| Public land | 9.6% (81,355 acres) |
| WMAs | 22 (2,239 acres inside DPA 684) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Bemidji, Tenstrike, Wilton, Laporte, Shevlin and Bagley |
How many deer are harvested in DPA 684?
The DNR registered 3,267 deer in DPA 684 in 2025: 2,101 adult bucks, 849 adult does and 317 fawns, about 2.6 deer for each of the 1,235 square miles of land the DNR counts in it. 10,495 hunters used their firearms license here in the A season and registered 2,857 deer, about 27 deer for every 100 of them. Archers: 1,570 hunters, 232 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 | 3,267 | 2,101 | 849 | 317 | 2.65 | 10,495 | 2,857 | 1,570 | 232 | 567 | 61 |
| 2024 | 3,035 | 1,893 | 762 | 380 | 2.46 | 10,539 | 2,627 | 1,621 | 232 | 498 | 77 |
| 2023 | 2,686 | 1,578 | 800 | 308 | 2.17 | 10,491 | 2,393 | 1,584 | 171 | 607 | 47 |
Source: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2025, 2024 and 2023: 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 684 that year.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in DPA 684?
DPA 684 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 684?
81,355 of DPA 684's 848,869 acres are public land open to the public (9.6%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 55,185 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DPA 684 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 55,185 | 6.5% |
| National forest | 20,164 | 2.4% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,121 | 0.4% |
| State parks | 2,608 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 234 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 43 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 81,355 | 9.6% |
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 684
DNR WMAs in DPA 684, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mosquito Creek WMA: 665 acres
- Upper Rice WMA: 390 acres
- James B. Fern WMA: 218 acres
- Long Lake WMA: 160 acres
- Henry O. Bjoring WMA: 114 acres
- Rockwood WMA: 81 acres
- Frellsen Lake WMA: 56 acres
- Long Lost Lake WMA: 54 acres
- Birch Creek WMA: 52 acres
- Wolf Lake WMA: 50 acres
- Bemidji Slough WMA: 49 acres
- Mallard Lake WMA: 45 acres
- Sucker Lake WMA: 40 acres
- Robinson Lake WMA: 40 acres
- Stassen Lake WMA: 35 acres
- Glanders Lake WMA: 35 acres
- Gill Lake WMA: 33 acres
- Carmen Borgerding WMA: 32 acres
- Gardner Lake WMA: 26 acres
- Daniel Lake WMA: 24 acres
- Long Lost Lake South WMA: 20 acres
- Sugar Bush Lake WMA: 20 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Chippewa National Forest (20,214 acres), Buena Vista State Forest (12,361 acres), Paul Bunyan State Forest (8,583 acres), Mississippi Headwaters State Forest (8,536 acres), White Earth State Forest (7,534 acres) and La Salle Lake (987 acres).
How do you get to DPA 684?
Highways through it: US 2 (about 75 miles inside), US 71 (about 61 miles inside), MN 89 (about 22 miles inside), MN 200 (about 16 miles inside) and MN 92 (about 14 miles inside). Towns inside: Bemidji, Tenstrike, Wilton, Blackduck, Turtle River and Solway. Nearby: Laporte (on the line), Shevlin (on the line), Bagley (on the line) and Leonard (2 miles).
Which deer permit areas border DPA 684?
DPA 684 touches 8 other deer permit areas. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DPA | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Walk-In Access sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 110 | 1,210 | 2025 | 23.8% | |
| DPA 169 | 927 | 2025 | 46.4% | |
| DPA 197 | 1,098 | 2025 | 48.5% | |
| DPA 209 | 1,486 | 2025 | 1.2% | |
| DPA 210 | 1,487 | 2025 | 4% | |
| DPA 259 | 1,643 | 2025 | 24% | |
| DPA 287 | 85 | 2025 | 92.8% | |
| DPA 298 | 779 | 2025 | 11.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DPA 684 in 2025?
3,267 deer were registered: 2,101 adult bucks, 849 adult does and 317 fawns (DNR 2025 Deer Harvest Report, Table 3). The most in the 3 years shown was 3,267, in 2025.
What is the 2026 bag limit in DPA 684?
The DNR lists DPA 684 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 684?
Yes. 81,355 acres, 9.6% of the permit area, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, mostly state forest and other DNR land. The DNR's map shows 22 wildlife management areas here, the largest Mosquito Creek WMA (665 acres).
How many firearms hunters hunt DPA 684?
10,495 in the 2025 firearms A season, by the DNR's Table 5. They registered 2,857 deer, 1,855 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 Beltrami County Hubbard County Clearwater County Becker County DPA 110 DPA 169 DPA 197 DPA 209 DPA 210 DPA 259 DPA 287 DPA 298