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State forest in Cass County
Hunting on Land O'Lakes State Forest in 2026-27
State forest hunting in Cass County and 1 neighbor: rules, season dates, parking and nearby public land.
Photo: Sharon Mollerus (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Land O’Lakes State Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Land O’Lakes State Forest
- Parking areaParking · 6.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 7.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 7.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 7.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 7.3 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.
The record behind Land O'Lakes State Forest, summed up
The mapped area of Land O’Lakes State Forest is 29,316 acres, in Cass and Crow Wing counties. Cass County has 8 state forests on our list; this one is the 2nd largest. Deer rules come from DPA 171 (it also reaches DPA 172), an antlerless permit lottery area in 2026.
The land manager is Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Inside the statutory line (51,500 acres) DNR manages 29,316 acres; the rest is county, federal or private. It has been a state forest since 1933.
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Land O’Lakes State Forest
Land O'Lakes State Forest regulations in short
Read these before a first trip to Land O'Lakes State Forest; they come from the agency page.
| Item | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Hunting, trapping | Open in season |
| Game refuges inside | Closed unless listed |
| Near campgrounds, lots | Cased within 200 ft |
| Stands | Portable preferred |
| Shooting lanes | No cutting |
| Private inholdings | Permission needed |
| Target shooting | Unless posted closed |
| Forest roads | OHVs unless posted |
Sources: record; booklet: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
DPA 171 dates for Land O'Lakes State Forest
For 2026, DNR made DPA 171 antlerless permit lottery and offered 500 antlerless permits by lottery; its firearms deer season is the 100-series window. The Sept. 10 lottery hands out the antlerless permits for DPA 171.
| Deer season | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
No mandatory CWD sampling in DPA 171; testing is optional. DPA 171 takes in 769 square miles. Part of Aitkin, Cass and Crow Wing falls in DPA 171.
Other DPAs: DPA 172 (antlerless permit lottery)
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Hunting seasons at Land O'Lakes State Forest
47 season windows for 24 species reach Land O'Lakes State Forest, filtered by the open seasons for its county.
| Game | Season | Area | From | To | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | DPAs 171, 172 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPAs 171, 172 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 100 series | DPAs 171, 172 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Quota areas | Quota areas 28, 45, 46, 47, 51 | 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, spruce grouse | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Rabbits, 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Take-a-Kid | Take-a-Kid | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Dec 30, 2026 | |
| Raccoon, foxes | Hunting (north) | North furbearer zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Badger, opossum, weasels | Hunting (north) | North furbearer zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Raccoon, foxes | Hunting (south) | South furbearer zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Badger, opossum, weasels | 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 | |
| Light geese | Spring light goose | Statewide | Feb 18, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Mar 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
Blaze orange or pink is required during the firearms deer seasons, including for most small game hunters.
From the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026. All Minnesota seasons.
Other places to hunt near Land O'Lakes State Forest
The closest other public land to Land O'Lakes State Forest is Spire Valley AMA, 4.8 mi to the southwest; the table lists 8 neighbors with 546 acres between them.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Deer area | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spire Valley AMA | AMA | 122 | 171, 172 | 4.8 mi | southwest |
| Big Rice WMA | WMA | 53 | 171 | 6.2 mi | north |
| Washburn Lake AMA | AMA | 31 | 172 | 6.9 mi | southwest |
| Laura Lake AMA | AMA | 127 | 172 | 7.7 mi | northwest |
| Laura Lake WMA | WMA | 67 | 172 | 8.1 mi | northwest |
| Snowshoe Lake AMA | AMA | 18 | 172 | 8.4 mi | southwest |
| Island Lake AMA | AMA | 17 | 172 | 9.1 mi | west |
| Roosevelt Lake AMA | AMA | 110 | 172 | 9.1 mi | southwest |
Points: DNR State Forest Management Units layer (DNR-administered land) (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Towns and offices around Land O'Lakes State Forest
The town nearest Land O'Lakes State Forest is Remer at 11 mi. Emily (863 in 2024) is the largest of these towns. Grand Rapids Area Wildlife Office (Grand Rapids) is the closest DNR office, 27 mi off.
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remer | Cass | 397 | 11 mi | north |
| Emily | Crow Wing | 863 | 11 mi | southwest |
| Hill City | Aitkin | 615 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Fifty Lakes | Crow Wing | 449 | 15 mi | southwest |
| Longville | Cass | 158 | 17 mi | west |
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.
Land O'Lakes State Forest area deer harvest by year
DPA 171 totals, which include all the land around Land O'Lakes State Forest: 1,165 deer in 2025 against 1,068 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks | Does, fawns | All deer | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 959 | 206 | 1,165 | 1.57 |
| 2024 | 880 | 188 | 1,068 | 1.44 |
| 2023 | 664 | 155 | 819 | 1.11 |
| 2022 | 632 | 348 | 980 | 1.32 |
| 2021 | 746 | 386 | 1,132 | 1.53 |
| 2020 | 460 | 604 | 1,064 | 1.70 |
| 2019 | 626 | 651 | 1,277 | 2.04 |
| 2018 | 916 | 853 | 1,769 | 2.52 |
| 2017 | 1,161 | 1,544 | 2,705 | 3.86 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
The county setting of Land O'Lakes State Forest
Cass County holds 69 public hunting records on this site; Land O'Lakes State Forest is one of them. No deer feeding or attractants in Cass County (DNR ban). Bear permit area 46, 45 and 47 covers part of Cass County (46 (950 permits), 45 (700 permits) and 47 (40 permits)). For turkey the county is in permit area 508 and 507. Wildlife office for Cass County: Park Rapids Area Wildlife Office. Unlike Land O'Lakes State Forest, Long Lake Aquatic Management Area and Poplar Creek Aquatic Management Area are shut to hunters.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Land O'Lakes State Forest: first legal light and last
Calculated for the exact spot of Land O'Lakes State Forest, so the minutes differ a little from the county tables.
| Day | Hunt | First sun | Last sun | Start | Big game stop | Bird stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 6:57 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. | 7:52 p.m. | 7:22 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:06 a.m. | 7:08 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. | 7:38 p.m. | 7:08 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:25 a.m. | 6:40 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 6:40 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:06 a.m. | 4:53 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 4:53 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:36 a.m. | 4:32 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 4:32 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 8:01 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 7:31 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 4:35 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:31 a.m. | 8:01 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. | 8:31 p.m. | 8:01 p.m. |
Spring turkey uses the bird column.
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.
Land O'Lakes State Forest hunters: nearest gun clubs on file
Before a hunt on Land O'Lakes State Forest, the closest range on file is Moose-Willow Sportsmen Club, 11 miles off.
From the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 28, 2026.
Land O'Lakes State Forest and country like it, in photos
Straight answers on hunting Land O'Lakes State Forest
Land O'Lakes State Forest: is hunting allowed there?
Yes. Check the rules table on this page for Land O'Lakes State Forest first.
Is Land O'Lakes State Forest a big piece of land?
About 29,316 acres, per the agency GIS.
When does firearms deer season open on Land O'Lakes State Forest?
Deer permit area 171; the 2026 designation is antlerless permit lottery. Firearms dates in that DPA are Nov 7 to Nov 22, 2026.
What game is on Land O'Lakes State Forest?
No per-site species list exists for Land O'Lakes State Forest; legal game in season can be hunted.
What are the directions to Land O'Lakes State Forest?
Drive from Remer (11 mi); the agency publishes no directions.
Which office should I call about Land O'Lakes State Forest?
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources runs Land O'Lakes State Forest.
What are the CWD rules on Land O'Lakes State Forest?
CWD status: DPA 171 is outside the CWD zones, with optional testing.
Land O'Lakes State Forest: deer hours on opening day?
About 6:36 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. on opening day of firearms deer.
Any other public ground within a short drive of Land O'Lakes State Forest?
Closest on the map: Spire Valley AMA (4.8 mi), Big Rice WMA (6.2 mi) and Washburn Lake AMA (6.9 mi).
Are permanent stands allowed on Land O'Lakes State Forest?
On Land O'Lakes State Forest, a stand left overnight can be used by any hunter, and shooting lanes cannot be cleared.
Other photos on this page: Ron Cogswell (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).