Deer Permit Area 152, Minnesota
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Black Bear, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey
- Group
- Zone 100 — Northern Minnesota
- Area
- 61 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 152
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for White-tailed Deer so far. Black Bear, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedDPA 152 encompasses the 39,000-acre Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area straddling Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties in east-central Minnesota, roughly 90 miles north of the Twin Cities. The WMA is a mix of upland forest (~60%) and wetlands with scattered food plots, managed intensively for deer, black bear, ruffed grouse, and turkey. Hunter success is modest at 14% with approximately 12 hunters per square mile, reflecting solid pressure on this popular and highly accessible public land destination.
Flat to gently rolling east-central Minnesota landscape dominated by upland hardwood and mixed forest (approximately 60% of the 39,000-acre WMA) interspersed with extensive wetlands, bogs, and small openings. Scattered food plots and small fields managed by the DNR provide deer and turkey habitat. No significant elevation change; water features and wetland complexes define most travel corridors.
high
Deer: either-sex one-deer limit (2025); archery Sept 13-Dec 31, statewide firearms Nov 8-23, muzzleloader Nov 29-Dec 14; no early antlerless permit or late CWD season. Black bear: present and hunted, WMA habitat (dense forest and wetland mix) is prime bear range. Ruffed grouse and American woodcock: premier destination species, large unbroken forest blocks support strong populations. Wild turkey: present, overlaps with turkey permit area 512 (Mille Lacs WMA); spring and fall seasons available, no special firearms permit required. Elk: not present in this unit.
One of the largest and most accessible WMAs in Minnesota at 39,000 acres with 80 public entry points and 100 miles of internal roads. Known regionally as a top destination for ruffed grouse and woodcock hunting. Black bear, deer, and waterfowl hunting are also popular. Turkey hunting is permitted (turkey permit area 512 overlaps this WMA; no firearms permit required in recent seasons, only a license). CWD testing is optional in this unit — no CWD management zone restrictions as of 2025. Deer population is near goal; designation is either-sex one-deer limit. 2024 firearm hunter success was 14% with 12 hunters per sq. mi.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Deer Permit Area 152— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
Nothing posted yet about Deer Permit Area 152.
Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).
Boundaries: MN DNR official Deer Permit Areas. Community info last updated 23d ago.