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Minnesota DPA Finder

Answer six questions and get Minnesota deer permit areas and counties ranked by habitat fit, 2026 season dates, public land and DNR harvest reports.

How the Minnesota finder works

Minnesota manages deer by deer permit area (DPA). This tool scores all 130 DPAs using registered harvest from the DNR's 2021–2025 deer harvest reports (adult bucks, antlerless and archery), each DPA's own 2026 season dates, USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as state and national forests and wildlife management areas.

Black bear (by bear management unit), wild turkey (by permit area) and elk are ranked by county, with each unit's harvest split over its counties by area. Season fit uses the DNR's 2026 calendar, including firearms seasons A and B, muzzleloader and the late CWD hunts.

Species covered

  • White-tailed deer
  • Elk
  • Black bear
  • Wild turkey

Upland birds (ranked by county)

  • Ring-necked pheasant
  • Sharp-tailed grouse
  • Gray (Hungarian) partridge
  • Forest grouse

Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)

  • Ducks
  • Canada and dark geese
  • Snow and Ross's geese
  • Mourning dove
  • Sandhill crane
  • American woodcock

About every species on the species page →

Data sources

  • MN DNR deer harvest reports 2021–2025 (Tables 3 and 4, by deer permit area)
  • Status of Minnesota Black Bears, 2025 (harvest by bear management unit), split by county area
  • MN DNR wild turkey harvest reports, fall 2022–spring 2025 (by permit area), split by county area
  • MN DNR deer permit areas (with 2026 season dates), bear permit areas, turkey permit areas, elk zones
  • https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/seasons.html
  • USGS PAD-US 3.0 (Fee); NPS parks and monuments excluded
  • USGS NLCD 2021 Land Cover (250 m resample)
  • USGS 3DEP elevation service

Minnesota hunting FAQ

When is Minnesota's 2026 firearms deer season?

Season A opens Nov. 7, 2026 and runs through Nov. 15 in the 200 and 300 series and through Nov. 22 in the 100 series. The 300-series B season runs Nov. 21–29 and muzzleloader Nov. 28–Dec. 13.

Which Minnesota permit areas have the most deer?

DPAs 241, 213, 225, 215 and 240 in central Minnesota lead the 2021–2025 harvest. Pick white-tailed deer to rank every DPA.

Do I need a lottery license for bear in Minnesota?

Only in the quota zone, where licenses are drawn by bear management unit. No-quota zone licenses are sold over the counter. The 2026 season runs Sept. 1–Oct. 18; dogs are not allowed.

Minnesota harvest leaders

The deer permit areas with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.

White-tailed deer (2021–2025 average)

  1. DPA 241: 6,964 per year
  2. DPA 213: 5,961 per year
  3. DPA 225: 4,724 per year
  4. DPA 215: 4,688 per year
  5. DPA 240: 4,622 per year

Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Otter Tail County: 33,726 per year
  2. Itasca County: 28,005 per year
  3. Big Stone County: 26,511 per year
  4. Cass County: 22,191 per year
  5. Kandiyohi County: 19,192 per year

Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Otter Tail County: 13,583 per year
  2. Hennepin County: 8,247 per year
  3. Olmsted County: 7,627 per year
  4. Grant County: 7,309 per year
  5. Martin County: 6,977 per year