Deer Permit Area 218, Minnesota
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse
- Group
- Zone 200 — Central Minnesota
- Area
- 912 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 3,768
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. Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedDPA 218 is a central Minnesota deer permit area centered around Meeker County, encompassing roughly 912 square miles of classic farmland-forest transition habitat with only about 4% public land. The area supports solid white-tailed deer numbers in a landscape of row crops, wetlands, woodlots, and scattered WMAs, making access to permission-based private land a key factor for success. Tags are available over the counter and the zone participates in early antlerless seasons, making it accessible but hunter success is heavily tied to private land relationships.
Central Minnesota transition zone blending agricultural fields (corn, soybeans), wetland complexes, hardwood woodlots, and brushy draws. Relatively flat to gently rolling glacial till topography typical of Meeker County. Scattered lakes and river corridors provide edge habitat and deer travel routes.
moderate
White-tailed deer are the primary big game target with good agricultural food sources. Wild turkey are present and huntable in central Minnesota's farmland-forest mosaic. Ruffed grouse exist in brushy and forested cover patches. Pheasant presence is marginal — DPA 218 is at the northern fringe of productive pheasant range; the primary pheasant zone is southwest Minnesota. Black bear are not typically present in this agricultural central MN DPA.
Over-the-counter tags available for residents. Participates in early antlerless firearm season (late October). No Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) detected in this DPA. Deer numbers are solid in this agricultural zone with good food sources. Central MN's 2024 harvest was up 9% over 2023. Access to private land is the primary limiting factor for hunters.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Deer Permit Area 218— 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 218.
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.