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Minnesota national forest
Chippewa National Forest: seasons, rules and access
659,658 acres of national forest ground in Itasca County and 2 neighbors, deer permit area 110.
Photo: Always Shooting (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Chippewa National Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Chippewa National Forest
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 4.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 6.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 6.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.9 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Chippewa National Forest on paper: the record in brief
Chippewa National Forest covers 659,658 acres in Itasca, Cass and Beltrami counties. Itasca County has no other national forest in the records. The 2026 deer designation for DPA 110 (it also reaches DPA 169, DPA 197 and DPA 684) is antlerless permit lottery.
USDA Forest Service runs this land. The Forest boundary encompasses about 1.6 million acres, with more than 660,000 acres managed by the Chippewa National Forest. The remaining lands are state, county, tribal, and private." (About the Area)
Hunted here: deer, ruffed grouse, waterfowl.
From the agency record (USDA Forest Service); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Chippewa National Forest
Chippewa National Forest acres by county
| County | Federal acres |
|---|---|
| Itasca County | 312,576 |
| Cass County | 282,519 |
| Beltrami County | 64,564 |
- Blackduck Ranger District, Chippewa National Forest: 187,217 NFS acres
- Deer River Ranger District, Chippewa National Forest: 297,666 NFS acres
- Walker Ranger District, Chippewa National Forest: 174,775 NFS acres
USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics; checked October 28, 2026.
Use rules to read before hunting Chippewa National Forest
Chippewa National Forest follows the rules below on top of the statewide booklet.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Seasons | DNR regulations |
| Developed sites | No hunting |
| Near campsites | No shots, 150 yd |
| Dogs in developed sites | Leashed |
| Stands, OHVs | Check forest rules |
| Private inholdings | Permission needed |
Sources: record; booklet: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Chippewa National Forest deer rules: DPA 110
DPA 110 is a 100-series area set to antlerless permit lottery for 2026, with 250 antlerless lottery permits. DPA 110 rations does: firearm hunters need an antlerless permit from the Sept. 10 lottery.
| Deer season | Opening | Closing | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Youth deer | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Firearms, 100 series | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Muzzleloader | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 |
DPA 110 has optional CWD testing. At 531 square miles, DPA 110 is the unit deer rules follow. DPA 110 overlaps Beltrami, Koochiching and Itasca.
Also inside: DPA 169 (antlerless permit lottery), DPA 197 (antlerless permit lottery), DPA 684 (either-sex), DPA 171 (antlerless permit lottery), DPA 172 (antlerless permit lottery), DPA 679 (either-sex), DPA 259 (antlerless permit lottery)
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Chippewa National Forest dates, species by species
Season rows matched to Chippewa National Forest by its game species list; trapping-only seasons are on the species pages.
| Species | Hunt | Zone | First day | Last day | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | DPAs 110, 169, 171, 172 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPAs 110, 169, 171, 172 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 100 series | DPAs 110, 169, 171, 172 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ruffed, spruce grouse | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Canada goose | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal season | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | 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 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Dec 30, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Spring light goose | Statewide | Feb 18, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 200 series | DPA 259 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 |
Zone rows for ducks and furbearers depend on map lines, not on this unit; DNR draws them along highways.
From the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026. All Minnesota seasons.
Harvest trend near Chippewa National Forest
In 2025 hunters registered 1,210 deer across DPA 110 (2.29 per square mile); the table runs back to 2017.
| Season | Adult males | Antlerless and fawns | DPA total | Deer per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 983 | 227 | 1,210 | 2.29 |
| 2024 | 916 | 197 | 1,113 | 2.11 |
| 2023 | 807 | 273 | 1,080 | 2.04 |
| 2022 | 797 | 275 | 1,072 | 2.03 |
| 2021 | 885 | 278 | 1,163 | 2.20 |
| 2020 | 801 | 275 | 1,076 | 2.04 |
| 2019 | 903 | 607 | 1,510 | 2.86 |
| 2018 | 894 | 674 | 1,568 | 2.97 |
| 2017 | 1,023 | 903 | 1,926 | 3.64 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
Chippewa National Forest and the public ground around it
Straight-line distances run from the Chippewa National Forest map point; Bowstring State Forest (5.6 mi, southeast) leads the list.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | DPA | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowstring State Forest | State forest | 115,891 | 169, 197 | 5.6 mi | southeast |
| Hole in the Bog Peatland SNA | SNA | 1,642 | 197 | 7.1 mi | southwest |
| Sugar Lake WMA | WMA | 382 | 197 | 8.8 mi | northwest |
| Third River RGMA | RGMA | 1,086 | 169, 197 | 12 mi | northwest |
| Bowstring Deer Yard WMA | WMA | 771 | 197 | 12 mi | northeast |
| Mud Goose WMA | WMA | 17,011 | 172, 197 | 14 mi | southeast |
| Battleground State Forest | State forest | 9,624 | 172, 197 | 14 mi | south |
| Five Mile Point AMA | AMA | 32 | 197 | 14 mi | southwest |
The agency gives no coordinates for Chippewa National Forest, so unit points stand in.
Points: unit points. Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Itasca County around Chippewa National Forest
In Itasca County there are 43 records like Chippewa National Forest to choose from. The feeding and attractant ban covers Itasca County. Bear: quota area 27, 28 and 51 reaches the county, 27 (450 permits), 28 (60 permits) and 51 (1500 permits) for 2026. Turkey permit area 508 covers the county. Grand Rapids Area Wildlife Office (Grand Rapids) is the closest area wildlife office to the county centre. Watch for closed ground in Itasca County such as Bear River Aquatic Management Area.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Gas, food and processors near Chippewa National Forest
Closest town: Bena, 4.5 mi in a straight line from Chippewa National Forest. The nearest DNR office is Grand Rapids Area Wildlife Office in Grand Rapids, 32 mi away.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bena | Cass | 152 | 4.5 mi | south |
| Federal Dam | Cass | 119 | 11 mi | south |
| Ball Club | Itasca | – | 12 mi | southeast |
| Inger | Itasca | – | 14 mi | northeast |
| Squaw Lake | Itasca | 102 | 15 mi | north |
Towns from the 2024 Census gazetteer and population estimates; offices and businesses from services.json (DNR and business listings, chain stores and license agents left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 28, 2026.
Legal hunting hours worked out for Chippewa National Forest
Shooting starts 30 minutes before sunrise at Chippewa National Forest; the two closing columns split big game from birds.
| Date | Season | Sunrise | Sunset | First shot | Last, big game | Last, birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 6:58 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. | 7:53 p.m. | 7:23 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:07 a.m. | 7:09 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. | 7:39 p.m. | 7:09 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:26 a.m. | 6:41 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. | 6:41 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:08 a.m. | 4:53 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 4:53 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:39 a.m. | 4:31 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. | 4:31 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 8:04 a.m. | 4:34 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 4:34 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:32 a.m. | 8:03 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. | 8:33 p.m. | 8:03 p.m. |
Early teal runs sunrise to sunset.
Hours rule from the DNR booklet shooting hours page; sun times calculated for the unit point (NOAA method, Central Time); checked October 28, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Pictures that suit a day on Chippewa National Forest
Quick answers before you hunt Chippewa National Forest
Which office should I call about Chippewa National Forest?
Chippewa National Forest is managed by USDA Forest Service.
What route leads to Chippewa National Forest?
The nearest town is Bena, 4.5 mi away; use the map on this page for the route.
When is legal light on Chippewa National Forest for the opener?
For the opener, 6:38 a.m. to 5:23 p.m.; birds stop at 4:53 p.m..
Do deer from Chippewa National Forest need CWD testing?
Its DPA (110) is outside the CWD zones, with optional testing.
May the public hunt Chippewa National Forest?
Yes, in season, following the managing agency rules for Chippewa National Forest.
Where can I hunt public land close to Chippewa National Forest?
The nearest public units are Bowstring State Forest (5.6 mi), Hole in the Bog Peatland SNA (7.1 mi) and Sugar Lake WMA (8.8 mi).
What are the 2026 deer rules on Chippewa National Forest?
It is in deer permit area 110 (antlerless permit lottery). Guns: Nov 7 to Nov 22, 2026.
Chippewa National Forest size: how much huntable ground?
Chippewa National Forest covers 659,658 acres.
What can you hunt on Chippewa National Forest?
Expect deer, ruffed grouse and waterfowl on Chippewa National Forest, per the record.
Chippewa National Forest: what to double-check first
Seasons, closures and notices on Chippewa National Forest can change mid-season; posted signs and the agency page have the final word.
Sources: source · source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0); Joe Passe (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0).