Deer Permit Area 171, Minnesota
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Black Bear, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse
- Group
- Zone 100 — Northern Minnesota
- Area
- 769 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 1,165
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, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedDPA 171 is a 730-square-mile hunter-choice deer permit area centered near McGregor in Aitkin County, north-central Minnesota, with nearly 45% of the unit in public ownership across county tax-forfeited lands, state WMAs, and state forests. The unit lies within Minnesota's Zone 100 series (northern forest zone) and features classic north-central Minnesota terrain of mixed aspen-birch-pine forest, expansive wetlands, and hundreds of lakes. Hunters pursuing deer here operate under a one-deer hunter-choice limit and must comply with mandatory CWD testing requirements during the firearms opener due to the unit's location in a CWD surveillance zone.
Mixed aspen-birch-pine boreal forest interspersed with extensive wetlands, bogs, and approximately 400 lakes typical of north-central Minnesota; flat to gently rolling glacial terrain in the Aitkin County lowlands near McGregor along the Mississippi River headwaters region
moderate
Whitetail deer is the primary target species under a hunter-choice 1-deer limit with no separate antlerless permit required; black bear are present and huntable in Aitkin County via the statewide draw permit system (September season); wild turkey exist in the area with spring draw permits available; ruffed grouse are abundant in the aspen and mixed-forest cover and are open to OTC small-game hunting; no elk or moose hunting opportunity exists in this unit
Hunter-choice (either-sex) designation allows taking a buck or antlerless deer on a single license; nearly half the unit is publicly accessible with outstanding walk-in access via county and state lands; McGregor serves as a convenient base town; the Ripple River WMA and Wealthwood State Forest are notable nearby public tracts; CWD surveillance zone status requires mandatory sample submission during the firearms season opener
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Deer Permit Area 171— 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 171.
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.