Deer Permit Area 221, Minnesota
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse
- Group
- Zone 200 — Central Minnesota
- Area
- 650 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 4,912
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 221 is a 650-square-mile central Minnesota permit area in the East Central Uplands block (Zone 200), characterized by a transition landscape of mixed forest, wetlands, and agricultural cropland. Public land access is limited at roughly 2% of the area, so hunters rely on scattered WMAs and private land permission; despite this, the area supports strong deer numbers with over 4,200 deer harvested in recent reporting years. Antlerless tags are available through the lottery system and hunters can pursue whitetail via archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons.
Central Minnesota transition zone where northern mixed forest gives way to agricultural fields. Terrain is relatively flat to gently rolling with significant wetland complexes, woodlot edges, river bottoms, and cropland (corn and soybeans). The mix of habitat edges creates excellent deer cover and food sources year-round.
moderate
Whitetail deer are the primary target species with hunter-choice permits available OTC for the general season; antlerless permits available via lottery. Wild turkey are present in this central MN transition zone and available via spring and fall permit seasons. Ruffed grouse inhabit the mixed forest and brushy cover areas. Pheasant populations in this area are marginal given the more forested character of Zone 200 east-central transition — not a primary pheasant destination. Black bear range does not typically extend to this central farmland transition zone.
Strong deer productivity with over 4,286 deer harvested in a single season (6.68 per square mile), placing it among Minnesota's more productive central zone permit areas. Hunter-choice permits allow harvest of either a buck or antlerless deer. Early antlerless archery season in October is available. Farmland-forest edge habitat produces mature bucks with reliable food sources from surrounding agriculture.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Deer Permit Area 221— 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 221.
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Boundaries: MN DNR official Deer Permit Areas. Community info last updated 23d ago.