Deer Permit Area 286, Minnesota
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse
- Group
- Zone 200 — Central Minnesota
- Area
- 459 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 601
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 286 is a 446-square-mile central Minnesota deer permit area in Zone 200, featuring a mix of hardwood and conifer forest, agricultural fields, lakes, and wetlands typical of the central lakes region. The area supports moderate deer densities with roughly 439 deer harvested by firearms hunters annually and offers access through numerous WMAs, state forests, and public land scattered throughout the unit. Antlerless permits are issued by lottery, and the unit draws moderate hunting pressure at approximately 3.48 firearms hunters per square mile.
Mixed hardwood and conifer forest interspersed with agricultural land, lakes, wetlands, and river corridors; flat to gently rolling terrain characteristic of central Minnesota glacial landscape at 446 sq miles
moderate
Deer are the primary target species with antlerless permits by lottery; ruffed grouse present in forested areas with season mid-September through January; Eastern wild turkey present in central MN with spring draw tags; no bear, moose, or pheasant in this zone
Zone 200 central Minnesota unit with moderate deer density (0.98 total harvest per sq mile firearms season); 1,551 firearms hunters in 2025 season; total firearms harvest of 439 deer; archery season adds additional opportunity with 279 archery hunters; ranked 81st of ~130 DPAs statewide for harvest density
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Deer Permit Area 286— 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 286.
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.