Deer Permit Area 297, Minnesota
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer
- Group
- Zone 200 — Central Minnesota
- Area
- 450 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 224
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedDPA 297 covers western Mahnomen County and a sliver of northwest Becker County, lying entirely within the White Earth Indian Reservation. The area is predominantly agricultural (66% row crops) with a supporting base of grasslands, wetlands, and woodlands that sustain a deer herd currently recovering toward management goals after consecutive mild winters. Public land hunting access totals roughly 41.5 square miles across WMAs, state forest, and walk-in parcels, with low hunter density of about 2 hunters per square mile.
Predominantly flat to gently rolling agricultural landscape with 66% annual row crops, 20% grassland and wetlands, and 8% woody cover. The area lies within the White Earth Indian Reservation in the northwestern transition zone where prairie meets forest. Total land area is approximately 438 square miles.
low
White-tailed deer is the primary big-game species. The heavily agricultural landscape with interspersed wetlands and grasslands supports deer but population remains below DNR management goals. No significant populations of turkey, bear, grouse, pheasant, or moose documented for this DPA.
Antlerless harvest requires a lottery permit (25 permits issued in 2025); buck tags are over-the-counter under a one-deer limit. Deer herd is recovering after back-to-back mild winters in 2024 and 2025 — buck harvest rose 43% in 2024 after bottoming out in 2023. CWD optional testing applies. Contact: Rob Baden, 218-846-8476.
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: MN DNR official Deer Permit Areas. Community info last updated 23d ago.