Deer Permit Area 648, Minnesota
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Pheasant
- Group
- Zone 300 — Southern Minnesota
- Area
- 333 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 1,762
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
AI-compiled · sourcedDPA 648 sits in the heart of Minnesota's driftless area, a rugged landscape of bluffs, valleys, and agricultural fields that holds some of the state's best deer habitat. Public land is scarce at just 12.9 sq mi out of 332 sq mi total — mostly State Forest parcels — making access to private land a key factor for success. The area carries a five-deer limit with an Early Antlerless designation, mandatory CWD testing, and a three-buck cap spread across archery, firearm, and muzzleloader licenses.
Rugged driftless bluffs and valleys with row-crop agriculture dominating at 37% of land cover; 29% woody cover and 29% grassland/wetlands provide diverse habitat. Total area 332 sq mi. Classic southeastern Minnesota topography with steep ridges, creek bottoms, and agricultural fields.
high
White-tailed deer are the primary target species with strong populations in the driftless bluff-and-valley landscape. Wild turkey are present in the wooded ridges and draws typical of southeastern Minnesota. Ring-necked pheasant occur in the agricultural fringe and grassland/wetland edges. CWD is a significant management concern — DPA 648 is a designated CWD Disease Management DPA with mandatory sampling protocols.
Some of Minnesota's finest deer habitat in the driftless region. Five-deer limit with Early Antlerless designation signals a population above management goals. Up to three bucks allowed (one per license type). Mandatory CWD testing on opening firearms weekend; carcass movement restrictions in effect. Deer feeding and attractant ban applies in Fillmore and Olmsted Counties. 2024 hunter success rate 48% with 1,789 total deer harvested. Harvest density trending upward (5.4 deer/sq mi in 2024).
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Deer Permit Area 648— 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 648.
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.