Deer Permit Area 283, Minnesota
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse
- Group
- Zone 200 — Central Minnesota
- Area
- 363 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 584
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, Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedDPA 283 is a lottery-only deer permit area in central Minnesota spanning approximately 639 square miles across Meeker, Kandiyohi, and Stearns counties, issuing only 200 antlerless permits annually. The landscape is a classic central MN mix of agricultural cropland, wetlands, and scattered woodlots interspersed with numerous lakes, with only about 3.6% of the area in public land. Hunters who draw here find good deer numbers in a heavily private-land setting, with mandatory CWD testing required during the firearms season.
Rolling central Minnesota agricultural landscape spanning Meeker, Kandiyohi, and Stearns counties. Mix of row-crop farmland (corn, soybeans), wetlands, scattered hardwood woodlots, and numerous lakes typical of the glaciated prairie-forest transition zone. Relatively flat to gently rolling topography.
moderate
White-tailed deer are the primary target and the sole draw species. Wild turkey are present in the agricultural woodlot mosaic of central MN and huntable in spring and fall seasons. Ring-necked pheasant populations exist in the area given the county makeup (Kandiyohi and Meeker are recognized pheasant counties). Ruffed grouse are present in wooded areas though numbers are modest compared to northern MN. No moose or bear populations of significance in this central MN agricultural zone.
Lottery-only DPA issuing 200 antlerless permits per year, making tags highly coveted. Located in the heart of central MN's agricultural deer country where bucks can achieve excellent body weights and antler growth on a corn-soybean diet. Mandatory CWD sampling required for all deer one year and older harvested during the firearms opener. Shotgun slugs, muzzleloaders, and handguns legal for big game (rifle legality improved with repeal of shotgun zone effective 2026). Archery season runs Sept 16 - Dec 31; firearms Nov 4 - 12; muzzleloader Nov 25 - Dec 10.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Deer Permit Area 283— 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 283.
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.