Minnesota publishes deer harvest in a form FDR could rank for 130 hunt units. Deer Permit Area 225 is highest at 9.1 deer harvested per square mile in 2025. Deer Permit Area 227 has 9.0 in 2025 and Deer Permit Area 646 has 8.9 in 2025. Harvest in a hunt unit includes private land, so the public share is shown next to each unit. The rankings describe reported harvest and do not measure access or hunting pressure.
KEY FINDINGS
- Deer Permit Area 225 has the highest harvest per square mile at 9.1. The agency reported 5,598 deer on 394,074 acres in 2025.
- 130 hunt units are ranked. Ranks compare areas measured in 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
Minnesota public land rankings
Best public land in Minnesota
Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Season measured 2025. Captured October 19, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Public share includes state trust land that licensed hunters may use with conditions. It is an upper bound where some tracts are landlocked or excluded.
Download all ranked rows (CSV)
Hunt units
Top 15 of 130 ranked hunt units by deer harvest per square mile. Hunt units include private land, so the public share column shows how much of each unit is public land open to hunting.
15 of 130 hunt units shown
| 1 | Deer Permit Area 225 | 394,074 | 2025 | 5,598 | 9.1 | 23.9 | 3.9% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Deer Permit Area 227 | 300,154 | 2025 | 4,198 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 1.9% |
| 3 | Deer Permit Area 646 | 202,726 | 2025 | 2,832 | 8.9 | 16.2 | 5.1% |
| 4 | Deer Permit Area 214 | 353,600 | 2025 | 4,781 | 8.7 | 12.1 | 2.2% |
| 5 | Deer Permit Area 222 | 263,793 | 2025 | 3,420 | 8.3 | 13.8 | 3.3% |
| 6 | Deer Permit Area 240 | 410,502 | 2025 | 5,068 | 7.9 | 13.2 | 2.1% |
| 7 | Deer Permit Area 649 | 311,877 | 2025 | 3,806 | 7.8 | 32.1 | 6.6% |
| 8 | Deer Permit Area 221 | 412,137 | 2025 | 4,908 | 7.6 | 10.8 | 1.7% |
| 9 | Deer Permit Area 223 | 240,543 | 2025 | 2,839 | 7.6 | 15.5 | 4.1% |
| 10 | Deer Permit Area 215 | 448,004 | 2025 | 5,267 | 7.5 | 9.9 | 1.4% |
| 11 | Deer Permit Area 241 | 639,018 | 2025 | 7,163 | 7.2 | 17.3 | 1.7% |
| 12 | Deer Permit Area 236 | 233,869 | 2025 | 2,388 | 6.5 | 10.3 | 2.8% |
| 13 | Deer Permit Area 224 | 29,398 | 2025 | 294 | 6.4 | 45.9 | 100.0% |
| 14 | Deer Permit Area 249 | 318,013 | 2025 | 3,126 | 6.3 | 19.6 | 3.9% |
| 15 | Deer Permit Area 213 | 678,103 | 2025 | 6,423 | 6.1 | 34.3 | 3.2% |
01Hunt units
130 hunt units ranked on harvest per square mile
Deer Permit Area 225 has the most deer harvested per square mile at 9.1 in 2025. Deer Permit Area 227 has 9.0 in 2025 and Deer Permit Area 646 has 8.9 in 2025.
The public share is the part of each unit that is public land open to hunting. Public share includes state trust land that licensed hunters may use with conditions. It is an upper bound where some tracts are landlocked or excluded.
02Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR divided the agency's deer harvest by the area's size to get harvest per square mile. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Ranks compare areas measured in 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
Minnesota figures are the agency's registered deer harvest for each deer permit area across all seasons. The agency prints no success rate by permit area.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. Tied values share a rank and the order uses the unrounded values.
A ranking does not evaluate an individual property and does not confirm that it is open to hunting for you.
Sources
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Season measured 2025. Captured October 19, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR rankings are independent analysis of state agency numbers. A ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
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