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Deer lottery
Minnesota Antlerless Permit Lottery
32 lottery DPAs, 8,450 permits, the Sept. 10 deadline and who is exempt.
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain)
How the 2026 antlerless lottery works
32 Minnesota deer permit areas are antlerless permit lottery areas in 2026, with 8,450 permits in all, from 25 in the smallest quotas to 2,000 in DPA 259. In these DPAs a firearm or muzzleloader hunter may take an antlerless deer only with a lottery permit or an exemption. Antlerless permit lottery: firearm and muzzleloader hunters in the 32 lottery DPAs are entered by declaring a lottery DPA when buying a license by Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026 (DNR deer page also says Sept. 4 in one paragraph); the permit is valid for firearm and muzzleloader seasons. Exempt: youth under 18, residents 84+, Veterans Home residents, stationary-vehicle permit holders, eligible military/veterans. Separate preference points for antlerless and special hunt drawings (new 2026); hunters may apply for both.
booklet lottery page and the DNR deer page, checked October 28, 2026.
All 32 lottery DPAs and their quotas
| DPA | 2026 permits | Firearms | 2025 harvest | 2025 adult does | Main counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 259 | 2,000 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 1,643 | 294 | Hubbard · |
| DPA 156 | 1,000 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 1,900 | 247 | Carlton · Aitkin · |
| DPA 155 | 750 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 1,134 | 164 | |
| DPA 107 | 500 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 795 | 199 | |
| DPA 153 | 500 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 1,144 | 197 | Carlton · |
| DPA 171 | 500 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 1,165 | 165 | Aitkin · |
| DPA 172 | 500 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 1,687 | 278 | Cass · |
| DPA 274 | 400 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 495 | 112 | |
| DPA 197 | 300 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 1,098 | 105 | Cass · |
| DPA 278 | 300 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 639 | 124 | |
| DPA 110 | 250 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 1,210 | 182 | Beltrami · |
| DPA 298 | 250 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 779 | 76 | Becker · Mahnomen · |
| DPA 270 | 150 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 330 | 40 | Wilkin · |
| DPA 272 | 150 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 366 | 43 | Grant · |
| DPA 280 | 150 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 329 | 69 | |
| DPA 181 | 100 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 964 | 88 | |
| DPA 234 | 100 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 288 | 57 | Rock · |
| DPA 237 | 100 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 301 | 53 | |
| DPA 109 | 50 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 415 | 27 | |
| DPA 133 | 50 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 449 | 43 | Lake · |
| DPA 173 | 50 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 528 | 68 | Aitkin · |
| DPA 238 | 50 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 114 | 28 | Murray · |
| DPA 104 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 450 | 40 | |
| DPA 111 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 412 | 7 | |
| DPA 154 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 502 | 32 | Pine · |
| DPA 169 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 927 | 16 | |
| DPA 176 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 599 | 13 | |
| DPA 177 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 510 | 58 | |
| DPA 178 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 1,521 | 187 | |
| DPA 199 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 22 | 110 | 4 | Carlton · |
| DPA 282 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 242 | 28 | Renville · Chippewa · |
| DPA 297 | 25 | Nov 7-Nov 15 | 224 | 25 | Mahnomen · |
Quotas from booklet p. 81 and the DNR deer-map service; harvest from the DNR 2025 harvest report, checked October 28, 2026.
Minnesota lottery deadlines, 2026 and 2027
| Lottery | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bear (2026 season) | May 1, 2026 | Winners buy by Aug. 1; surplus at noon Aug. 5. |
| Bear (2027 season) | May 1, 2027 | Booklet p. 105; DNR seasons page lists May 7, 2027 (flagged). |
| Youth special deer hunts | Aug 14, 2026 | |
| Prairie chicken | Aug 14, 2026 | Residents only; 117 licenses. |
| Antlerless deer and firearm/muzzleloader special hunts | Sep 10, 2026 | Surplus antlerless permits from 5 p.m. Oct. 5 per booklet, but the DNR deer page says no s |
| Spring turkey WMA lottery (2027) | Feb 12, 2027 | |
| Elk (2027) | Not set | Applications from May 2027. |
| Youth deer hunt (2027) | Aug 20, 2027 | |
| Antlerless and special hunt (2027) | Sep 9, 2027 | |
| Prairie chicken (2027) | Aug 20, 2027 |
booklet deadlines, checked October 28, 2026.
Bonus permits, surplus and exemptions
Bucks-only 1 legal buck; antlerless permit lottery 1 deer (antlerless only with a lottery permit or an exemption); either-sex 1 deer; 2-deer, 3-deer and 5-deer limit areas allow bonus permits (only 1 legal buck). Bonus permits not valid in bucks-only, lottery or either-sex DPAs; disease management permits only in listed 600-series DPAs.
Surplus permits: the booklet printed a surplus sale from 5 p.m. Oct. 5, but the DNR deer page later said there are no surplus lottery antlerless permits this year.
Bonus permits are not valid in bucks-only, lottery or either-sex DPAs; they work in the 2-, 3- and 5-deer areas, and $1 of each goes to venison donation.
booklet designation rules, checked October 28, 2026.
Common questions, minnesota antlerless permit lottery
Is the lottery permit good for muzzleloader season?
Yes. The permit is valid in the firearm and muzzleloader seasons in the declared DPA.
Which DPA has the most lottery permits?
DPA 259 with 2,000.
Do preference points carry over?
Antlerless and special hunt drawings use separate preference points from 2026, and hunters may apply for both.
Are there surplus antlerless permits in 2026?
No. The DNR deer page says no surplus lottery antlerless permits this year, although the booklet printed an Oct. 5 sale.
How do I apply for a Minnesota antlerless permit?
Declare a lottery DPA when buying a firearm or muzzleloader deer license by Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026; there is no separate application.
Who is exempt from the antlerless lottery?
Youth under 18, residents 84 or older, Veterans Home residents, stationary-vehicle permit holders and eligible military and veterans.
Other photos on this page: NPS Photo (Public domain); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain).