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2026-27 · DPA 209
Pennington County Hunting
A county brief for Pennington County in Northwest Minnesota: 2026 DPA designations and lottery quotas, firearm and muzzleloader windows, harvest by permit area, bear permits, turkey numbers and public acres by kind.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
With Thief River Falls as its seat, Pennington County takes in 617 square miles of the Red River Valley, the aspen parkland and the northwest lakes. Roughly 13,652 people lived here in 2024, 2.4% down on the 2020 base. Its DNR region is the Northwest Region; staff there work out of Bemidji. 5 deer permit areas split the county: 209, 256, 208, 257 and 264. GIS layers count close to 7,323 acres of state and federal ground within the line.
Land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates, region from the DNR county region list, DPAs from the DNR deer permit area layer, public acres from DNR, USFS and USFWS GIS layers (not official acreages). Checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Pennington County
Pennington County DPAs, designations and windows
The 2026 deer map puts 42% of Pennington County in DPA 209 and divides what is left among 256, 208, 257 and 264. Designation by area this year: 3-deer in 209, 257 and 264; 2-deer in 256; either-sex in 208. Firearm dates split by series: Nov. 7-15 in 209, 256, 208, 257 and 264. Whatever the DPA, the statewide limit stays at five deer including one buck. One change for 2026: a filled DPA limit lets you switch to another permit area.
| DPA | Share | Designation | Lottery permits | Archery | Firearms | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 209 | 42% | 3-deer | — | Sept. 19–Dec. 31 | Nov. 7–Nov. 15 | Nov. 28–Dec. 13 |
| 256 | 26% | 2-deer | — | Sept. 19–Dec. 31 | Nov. 7–Nov. 15 | Nov. 28–Dec. 13 |
| 208 | 16% | Either-sex | — | Sept. 19–Dec. 31 | Nov. 7–Nov. 15 | Nov. 28–Dec. 13 |
| 257 | 10% | 3-deer | — | Sept. 19–Dec. 31 | Nov. 7–Nov. 15 | Nov. 28–Dec. 13 |
| 264 | 6% | 3-deer | — | Sept. 19–Dec. 31 | Nov. 7–Nov. 15 | Nov. 28–Dec. 13 |
| Area | Series | Youth | Early antlerless | Late | CWD status | Square miles | DPA share here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 209 | 200 | Oct. 15–Oct. 18 | — | — | Voluntary | 640 | 41% |
| 256 | 200 | Oct. 15–Oct. 18 | — | — | Voluntary | 655 | 25% |
| 208 | 200 | Oct. 15–Oct. 18 | — | — | Voluntary | 378 | 25% |
| 257 | 200 | Oct. 15–Oct. 18 | — | — | Voluntary | 426 | 14% |
| 264 | 200 | Oct. 15–Oct. 18 | — | — | Voluntary | 672 | 6% |
DPA 209 · DPA 256 · DPA 208 · DPA 257 · DPA 264 · DPA index · Permit lottery
Shares, designations and dates from the DNR deer permit area layer (2026 seasons) and the booklet DPA designation list; lottery quotas from the booklet lottery page; limits from the booklet deer rules. Checked October 28, 2026.
Pennington County deer harvest by permit area
There is no official Pennington County deer harvest: DNR reports registered deer by DPA, and each DPA here also takes in ground outside the county. In 2025, hunters registered 1,486 deer across DPA 209, 755 of them adult bucks. That is 10% more than the 1,346 of 2017; the peak was 2025 at 1,486. Per square mile, DPA 209 hunters registered 1.18 bucks. For scale, all of Minnesota registered 186,368 deer in 2025.
| DPA | Of county | DPA in county | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Bucks/sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 209 | 42% | 41% | 1,234 | 1,380 | 1,486 | 1.18 |
| 256 | 26% | 25% | 867 | 1,033 | 1,042 | 0.97 |
| 208 | 16% | 25% | 378 | 409 | 465 | 0.89 |
| 257 | 10% | 14% | 872 | 928 | 979 | 1.32 |
| 264 | 6% | 6% | 1,770 | 2,007 | 1,995 | 1.56 |
Bucks, does and fawns in DPA 209
| Season | Adult males | Buck fawns | Adult females | Doe fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 755 | 92 | 553 | 86 | 1,486 |
| 2024 | 769 | 80 | 465 | 66 | 1,380 |
| 2023 | 620 | 91 | 438 | 85 | 1,234 |
| 2022 | 569 | 93 | 524 | 93 | 1,279 |
| 2021 | 766 | 94 | 471 | 92 | 1,423 |
| 2020 | 716 | 94 | 482 | 77 | 1,369 |
| 2019 | 708 | 85 | 441 | 75 | 1,309 |
| 2018 | 638 | 97 | 490 | 94 | 1,319 |
| 2017 | 672 | 118 | 476 | 80 | 1,346 |
DNR 2025 registered deer harvest report and earlier yearly reports (2017-2024); statewide totals from the DNR deer harvest statistics. Checked October 28, 2026.
Seasons that reach Pennington County
WMAs, state forests and private land share these dates in Pennington County; refuges, state parks and special hunts add their own rules.
| Animal | Hunt | Area | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | All DPAs here | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth deer | All DPAs here | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (200 series) | All DPAs here | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | No-quota area | No Quota Area | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring archery-only | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period A | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | Apr 20, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period B | Statewide | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period C | Statewide | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period D | Statewide | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period E | Statewide | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period F | Statewide | May 19, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Regular | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Ruffed and spruce grouse | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Sharp-tailed grouse | Northwest zone | Northwest zone | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Prairie chicken | By lottery permit | Permit areas 803A | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Woodcock | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Rabbits and hares | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Jackrabbit | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Rails | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Canada Goose | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Snow, Blue and Ross's Geese | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Early teal season | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Sandhill crane | Northwest zone | Northwest crane zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth days | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | South Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Canada Goose | Regular geese | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Canada Goose | Regular geese | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Canada Goose | Regular geese | South Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Take-a-Kid weekend | Take-a-Kid | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Canada Goose | Regular geese | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Dec 30, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting (north) | North furbearer zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| American Badger | Hunting (north) | North furbearer zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Canada Goose | Regular geese | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting (south) | South furbearer zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| American Badger | Hunting (south) | South furbearer zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunt and trap (north) | North furbearer zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Dec 15, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunt and trap (south) | South furbearer zone | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Snow, Blue and Ross's Geese | Spring light goose | Statewide | Feb 18, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Mar 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
From the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) and the DNR deer permit area map, checked October 28, 2026.
CWD, feeding and firearm rules in Pennington County
The four-year CWD rotation has not reached 209, 256, 208, 257 and 264 yet; voluntary samples are still welcome. Deer feeding is not banned in Pennington County, but placing food to hunt over is. The Legislature repealed the shotgun zone in 2025 and Pennington County is not among the 13 counties with a shotgun-only ordinance, so legal rifles, handguns and shotguns may be used for deer. Firearm deer season means blaze orange or pink on your outer clothing above the waist and on any cap. Validate at the kill site and register within 48 hours; phone registration has ended.
CWD details · Legal reference · Fees and licenses
CWD zones from the booklet CWD page and the CWD rules; history from the DNR CWD page; shotgun ordinances from the booklet firearm page; orange from the booklet clothing rule; registration from the booklet registration page. Checked October 28, 2026.
Bear, turkey and birds in Pennington County
Black bear
Bear hunters here buy an over-the-counter no-quota license; the county has no quota area. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 18 bears may be hunted; baits go out from Aug. 14.
Wild turkey
The turkey map puts Pennington County in 509 (100%). 781 gobblers and bearded hens came from area 509 in spring 2026. Spring 2026 permits listing 509: 2,749. Fall turkey runs Oct. 3-Nov. 1, and spring periods A to F fill Apr. 14-May 31, 2027.
| Area | Of county | Spring 2023 | Spring 2024 | Spring 2025 | Spring 2026 | Fall 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 509 | 100% | 503 | 672 | 726 | 781 | 76 |
Elk, grouse and prairie birds
The prairie chicken lottery reaches Pennington County through 803A (6 licenses), as read from the DNR map. Sharp-tails open Sept. 19 in the northwest zone and close Nov. 30. Sandhill cranes may be hunted here in the northwest zone, Sept. 12-Oct. 18.
Ducks, geese and furbearers
Pennington County waterfowl dates depend on the zone map: MN 210/23/39 and US 212/I-494/I-94 are the dividing lines. Check the I-94/US 10 line for furbearer dates.
Bear areas statewide · Turkey area map · Waterfowl zone map · Refuge list
Bear areas and permits from the 2026 bear regulations; BMU harvest from the DNR bear status report; turkey areas and harvest from the DNR turkey harvest reports; elk from the DNR elk page; prairie chicken from the DNR prairie chicken page (map-read); waterfowl lines from the DNR waterfowl page; refuges from the booklet refuge table. Checked October 28, 2026.
WMAs, forests and refuges of Pennington County
Open ground in Pennington County spans 5 records: 5 wildlife management areas.
- Wildlife management areas, 5 listedPembina Wildlife Management Area (6,677 ac*), Higinbotham Wildlife Management Area (984 ac), Oriniak Wildlife Management Area (312 ac), Jacksnipe Wildlife Management Area (203 ac), Reiner Wildlife Management Area (121 ac)
Just outside the county
- Emardville Wildlife Management Area9 miles out · 87 ac
- Snowshoe Wildlife Management Area10 miles out · 241 ac
- Agder Wildlife Management Area10 miles out · 279 ac
- Elm Lake Wildlife Management Area13 miles out · 15,740 ac
- Gervais Wildlife Management Area15 miles out · 83 ac
Public land hub · WMA index · Walk-In Access page
Units from our Minnesota land list (DNR WMA, SNA, AMA, forest and park pages, USFWS and USFS records); acres by kind from the DNR management units layer, the USFS ownership layer and the USFWS interest layer (GIS measures); Walk-In Access from the DNR Walk-In Access program; special hunts from the booklet special hunt tables. Checked October 28, 2026.
Offices and businesses serving Pennington County
Mileage is measured as the crow flies from the middle of Pennington County.
Pennington wildlife staff
Questions about Pennington County that go beyond the area office reach the Northwest Region in Bemidji. Pennington County WMAs are managed mostly from Thief River Falls.
Processors near the county
Taxidermy shops
Guide businesses
Sporting goods
Offices from the DNR wildlife area offices and DNR regions pages; processors from the MDA venison donation list, the DNR CWD partner list and directories; shops from directories and store locators. Checked October 28, 2026; call ahead. All Minnesota hunting services.
Towns plus the counties that touch Pennington County
Population figures are 2024 Census estimates for incorporated towns; unincorporated places show none.
- Thief River Fallsseat town · 8,779 inhabitants · 2,210 public ac in 10 mi
The county line of Pennington County touches 5 Minnesota counties.
Towns from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Pennington County ranges, clubs and shoots
This guide lists 3 ranges in Pennington County.
The public ranges in this guide are all in the Twin Cities area, more than 60 miles from Pennington County; the DNR Range Finder may list others. DNR ranges
Ranges from the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 28, 2026. The DNR Shooting Range Finder could not be read.
Pennington County legal hunting light
Legal light for deer at Pennington County brackets sunrise and sunset by 30 minutes; ducks and geese open 30 minutes before sunrise and stop at sunset.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Big game | Ducks and geese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 7:05 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 8:01 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:15 a.m. | 7:16 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:34 a.m. | 6:48 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 6:48 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:17 a.m. | 4:59 p.m. | 6:47 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. | 6:47 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:49 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 8:14 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:38 a.m. | 8:11 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 8:41 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 8:11 p.m. |
Hours rule from the DNR booklet shooting hours page; sun times calculated for the county centre (NOAA method, Central Time), checked against U.S. Naval Observatory tables; checked October 28, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Pennington County hunting calendar and winners
No event on the calendar yet (DNR classes only), checked October 28, 2026.
The 2026 DNR calendar lists 1 firearms safety class here, taught in Thief River Falls; 1 was full when read. Class schedule.
Pennington County FAQ
Does Pennington County close any season on Sundays?
No. Neither the booklet nor chapter 97B limits Sunday hunting.
How many bucks came from DPA 209 in 2025?
755 adult males, by the DNR harvest report.
How many bear permits were there for Pennington County in 2026?
None needed: the county is in the no-quota area.
Is autumn turkey hunting allowed around Pennington County?
Yes. The fall season runs Oct. 3 to Nov. 1, 2026, statewide.
Does Pennington County have any Walk-In Access land?
No Walk-In Access sites are listed in the county for 2026.
Who answers regional DNR questions for Pennington County?
The Northwest Region office in Bemidji at (218) 308-2629.
Can I hunt geese on a state refuge in Pennington County?
Not on a listed goose refuge here; most refuges are closed.
Where do Pennington County hunters take a whitetail for processing?
Most start with Headwaters Meat Processing, the closest on our list.
What is the 2026 deer designation in Pennington County?
209: 3-deer; 256: 2-deer; 208: Either-sex; 257: 3-deer; 264: 3-deer.
Is deer feeding banned in Pennington County?
Not by county rule, but hunting deer over bait is illegal statewide.
Answers from the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet, the DNR deer permit area layer, DNR harvest reports and the sources above. Checked October 28, 2026.
Pennington County before opening day
Carry your license on your phone or on paper, validate at the kill site and register on time.
Sources: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations, DNR hunting, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 28, 2026.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); NPS Photo (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).