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States / MN / Deer Permit Area 291

Deer Permit Area 291, Minnesota

Game found here
White-tailed DeerWild TurkeyPheasant
Zone 200 — Central MinnesotaSee on map →0 questions

Unit info

Game species
White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Pheasant
Group
Zone 200 — Central Minnesota
Area
830 mi²
Public land
N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
Reported harvest
1,902

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 also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.

About this unit

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DPA 291 covers Nicollet, western LeSueur, eastern Sibley, and portions of Blue Earth and Brown counties in south-central Minnesota. The Minnesota River and its tributaries have carved deep ravines and a broad wooded valley that provides excellent deer habitat amid an otherwise heavily farmed landscape. Public hunting is available on numerous WMAs, particularly in the Swan Lake area, and the area carries a two-deer limit reflecting a population above management goals.

Terrain & elevation

South-central Minnesota river bottom and upland agricultural landscape. The Minnesota River and its numerous tributaries have shaped deep ravines and a broad wooded valley. Land cover is dominated by annual row crops (65%), with woody cover (11%), grassland and wetlands (12%), open water (5%), and developed land (8%). Total non-water land area is approximately 800 sq. mi.

Hunting pressure

moderate

Species & seasons

Deer are the primary target species with a healthy population above the 2020 management goal. Turkey and pheasant are present given the agricultural and river bottom habitat typical of south-central Minnesota. No bear or moose presence in this zone. Grouse habitat is limited given the dominance of row-crop agriculture.

Highlights

Two-deer limit for 2025 season reflecting deer population above management goals. Minnesota River valley provides exceptional winter deer habitat with deep wooded ravines. Swan Lake area WMAs offer the most concentrated public hunting access. Hunter density runs about 4 hunters per sq. mi. with 32% firearm hunter success. CWD feeding/attractant ban in effect for Le Sueur and Sibley counties. Archery season runs Sept. 13 - Dec. 31; statewide firearms Nov. 8-16; muzzleloader Nov. 29 - Dec. 14.

Questions, tips & discussion

Ask anything about Deer Permit Area 291— 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 291.

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.