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National forest · DPA 117
Hunting on Superior National Forest in 2026-27
Everything we could verify about this national forest.
Photo: Superior National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Superior National Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Superior National Forest
- Little Isabella River BWCA Entry PointTrailhead · 5.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Snake River BWCA Entry PointTrailhead · 5.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Little Gabbro Lake BWCA Entry PointTrailhead · 6.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Lake One BWCA Entry PointTrailhead · 6.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.5 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 Superior National Forest, summed up
The mapped area of Superior National Forest is 2,172,387 acres, in St. Louis, Lake and 2 other counties. Deer rules come from DPA 117 (it also reaches DPA 126, DPA 118 and DPA 130), an either-sex area in 2026. The land manager is USDA Forest Service.
Hunting is allowed on all Superior National Forest lands, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, except within the limits of developed recreation sites such as campgrounds and boating sites.
Species named: deer, black bear, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare, waterfowl.
From the agency record (USDA Forest Service); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Superior National Forest
Superior National Forest regulations in short
Read these before a first trip to Superior National Forest; they come from the agency page.
| Item | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| 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.
DPA 117 dates for Superior National Forest
For 2026, DNR made DPA 117 either-sex; its firearms deer season is the 100-series window. Either-sex in DPA 117 means the regular license covers a buck or a doe.
| 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 117; testing is optional. DPA 117 takes in 1,134 square miles. Part of Cook and Lake falls in DPA 117.
Other DPAs: DPA 126 (bucks only), DPA 118 (bucks only), DPA 130 (bucks only), DPA 131 (bucks only), DPA 107 (antlerless permit lottery), DPA 109 (antlerless permit lottery), DPA 119 (bucks only)
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Hunting seasons at Superior National Forest
27 season windows for 15 species reach Superior National Forest, filtered by its game species list.
| Game | Season | Area | From | To | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | DPAs 107, 109, 117, 118 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPAs 107, 109, 117, 118 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 100 series | DPAs 107, 109, 117, 118 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Quota areas | Quota areas 22, 24, 25, 31, 51, 53 | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Ruffed, spruce grouse | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Regular | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Crow | Crow segment | Statewide | Dec 15, 2026 | Jan 15, 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.
Where Superior National Forest land lies
| County | NFS acres |
|---|---|
| St. Louis County | 762,198 |
| Lake County | 756,572 |
| Cook County | 653,390 |
| Koochiching County | 227 |
- Gunflint Ranger District, Superior National Forest: 391,034 NFS acres
- Kawishiwi Ranger District, Superior National Forest: 431,828 NFS acres
- Lacroix Ranger District, Superior National Forest: 409,160 NFS acres
- Laurentian Ranger District, Superior National Forest: 349,280 NFS acres
- Tofte Ranger District, Superior National Forest: 591,085 NFS acres
USFS counts 814,974 acres of wilderness.
USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics; checked October 28, 2026.
Other places to hunt near Superior National Forest
The closest other public land to Superior National Forest is Lake Isabella State Forest, 11 mi to the east; the table lists 8 neighbors with 156,651 acres between them.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Deer area | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Isabella State Forest | State forest | 62 | 117 | 11 mi | east |
| Insula Lake State Forest | State forest | 471 | 117 | 11 mi | east |
| Old Koschak Farm WMA | WMA | 89 | 118 | 16 mi | west |
| Sand Lake Peatland SNA | SNA | 5,375 | 130 | 21 mi | southwest |
| Wolf Lake AMA | AMA | 142 | 118 | 23 mi | west |
| Finland State Forest | State forest | 99,481 | 126, 130 | 29 mi | south |
| Bear Island State Forest | State forest | 26,130 | 117, 118 | 29 mi | west |
| Burntside State Forest | State forest | 24,902 | 118 | 30 mi | west |
Superior National Forest has no single published point, so distances run from its units.
Points: unit points. Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Superior National Forest area deer harvest by year
DPA 117 totals, which include all the land around Superior National Forest: 14 deer in 2025 against 7 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks | Does, fawns | All deer | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 0.02 |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0.01 |
| 2023 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0.01 |
| 2022 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 0.01 |
| 2021 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 0.01 |
| 2020 | 15 | 11 | 26 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 0.03 |
| 2017 | 24 | 34 | 58 | 0.06 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
Superior National Forest and country like it, in photos
Superior National Forest FAQ for 2026-27
Which office should I call about Superior National Forest?
The USDA Forest Service runs Superior National Forest.
What are the CWD rules on Superior National Forest?
CWD status: DPA 117 is outside the CWD zones, with optional testing.
Superior National Forest: deer hours on opening day?
About 6:29 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. on opening day of firearms deer.
Any other public ground within a short drive of Superior National Forest?
Closest on the map: Lake Isabella State Forest (11 mi), Insula Lake State Forest (11 mi) and Old Koschak Farm WMA (16 mi).
Superior National Forest: is hunting allowed there?
Yes. Check the rules table on this page for Superior National Forest first.
Is Superior National Forest a big piece of land?
About 2,172,387 acres, per the agency GIS.
When does firearms deer season open on Superior National Forest?
Deer permit area 117; the 2026 designation is either-sex. Firearms dates in that DPA are Nov 7 to Nov 22, 2026.
What game is on Superior National Forest?
The record for Superior National Forest lists deer, black bear, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare and waterfowl.
What are the directions to Superior National Forest?
Drive from Winton (15 mi); the agency publishes no directions.
Other photos on this page: Superior National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Superior National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0).