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Minnesota Statutes 97A and 97B and the DNR booklet · 2026-27
Minnesota Hunting Laws
Legal and protected species, blaze orange or pink, weapons by season, the 13 counties that kept shotgun-only deer rules after the 2025 repeal, the statewide deer bait ban and the 37-county feeding ban, bear baiting, carcass rules, state land and tribal land rules and the penalties in chapter 97A.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
What Minnesota law lets hunters take
Minnesota sorts wildlife into big game, small game, game birds, furbearers, migratory birds and unprotected animals, and the class decides the license, the season and the method. Some animals the law counts as game have no season at all.
Pursuing, shooting, killing, capturing, trapping, snaring, netting and attempting or assisting.
Big game (97A.015 subd. 3)
Deer, moose, elk, bear, antelope, caribou.
Open seasons only for deer, bear and elk; no open season on moose, antelope or caribou (booklet p. 32).
Small game (97A.015 subd. 45)
Game birds, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare, jack rabbit, raccoon, lynx, bobcat, short-tailed weasel, long-tailed weasel, wolf, red fox, gray fox, fisher, pine marten, opossum, badger, cougar, wolverine, muskrat, mink, otter, beaver.
No open season on lynx, wolf, cougar or wolverine.
Game birds (97A.015 subd. 24)
Migratory waterfowl, ring-necked pheasant, ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, Canada spruce grouse, prairie chickens, gray partridge, bobwhite quail, wild turkeys, coots, gallinules, sora and Virginia rails, mourning dove, sandhill crane, American woodcock, common snipe.
Bobwhite quail have no season (booklet p. 32).
Fur-bearing animals (97A.015 subd. 22)
Mammals that are protected wild animals, except big game.
Seasons for raccoon, foxes, badger, opossum, weasels, bobcat, fisher, pine marten, mink, muskrat, beaver, otter.
Migratory game birds (booklet definition)
Ducks, geese, mergansers, coots, moorhens (gallinules), woodcock, rails, snipe, sandhill cranes, mourning doves.
Migratory waterfowl = ducks, geese and mergansers (statute adds swans, which have no season).
Unprotected wild animals (97A.015 subd. 53; booklet p. 32)
Coyote, plains pocket gopher, porcupine, red/pine squirrel, striped skunk, woodchuck, unprotected birds.
May be taken at any time in any manner except with artificial lights or by motor vehicle; no license needed. Booklet adds red squirrel and woodchuck.
Unprotected birds
House (English) sparrow, European starling, common pigeon, Eurasian collared dove, chukar partridge, quail other than northern bobwhite, monk parakeet.
Booklet list. Statute 97A.015 subd. 52 also lists cormorant and mute swan and omits monk parakeet (flagged).
Predators (97A.015 subd. 37)
Wolf, coyote, fox, lynx, bobcat.
Predator hunters are exempt from the small game blaze rule.
Blaze orange or pink in Minnesota
During the firearms and muzzleloader deer seasons nearly everyone afield wears it, trappers included. Outside those seasons a small game hunter needs a single blaze article above the waist, and a miss draws only a safety warning.
All hunters and trappers afield during open firearms/muzzleloader deer seasons: blaze orange or pink on the visible cap (if worn) and outer clothing above the waist, excluding sleeves and gloves.
Exempt during the deer seasons
- Areas open only to archery
- Migratory waterfowl hunters on water or in a stationary location
- Trapping while on water
Small game the rest of the fall
When no firearms/muzzleloader deer season is open: at least one visible article of clothing above the waist blaze orange or pink (statute: a violation brings only a safety warning).
Exempt the rest of the year
- Small game while archery deer hunting from a stationary location
- Turkey
- Migratory birds
- Raccoons and predators (coyote, fox, bobcat)
- Trapping furbearers
- Falconry
- Bear
Camo, pink and ground blinds
Blaze camouflage must be at least 50% blaze orange/pink in each square foot. Blaze pink is equivalent to orange. Deer hunters (any weapon) in a fabric or synthetic ground blind on public land: blaze orange covering on top visible 360 degrees or 144 sq in. on each side. Turkey hunters no longer need it.
Sources: booklet p. 39; Minn. Stat. 97B.071; federal lands, p. 124, verified line by line October 28, 2026.
Weapons by season and the shotgun-only counties
Deer hunters may use rifles, shotguns and handguns of .220 caliber or larger statewide since the 2025 law, but 13 counties told the state by May 5, 2026 that they keep shotgun-only or partial rules. Call the county before you sight in a rifle there.
| Season or topic | Legal | Not legal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big game firearms (deer, bear, elk) | Rifle, shotgun or handgun .220 caliber or larger with centerfire ignition, single projectile, soft point or expanding bullet; muzzleloaders loaded at the muzzle (smooth-bore .45+, rifled .40+; scopes legal). Statewide since the 2025 shotgun-zone repeal except counties with shotgun-only ordinances. | Full metal jacket bullets, multiple projectiles (buckshot), breech-loaded or cylinder-loaded black powder revolvers, firearms larger than 10 gauge. | source |
| Archery (big game) | Bows 30 lb+ pull at or before full draw; 2+ metal cutting edges, barbless broadheads 7/8 in.+ (expandables 7/8-2 in. after impact); hand-held mechanical release allowed. | Poisoned or explosive arrows; possessing a firearm while bowhunting deer (except Personal Protection Act carry; bear and elk archers may carry a firearm). | source |
| Crossbows | Shoulder-fired, at least 42 ft-lb at 10 ft, bolts 10 in.+ with legal broadheads, working safety. Deer: archery license all archery season; any licensed hunter in youth, early antlerless and firearms seasons. Bear license holders. Turkey: firearms license (own period) or archery-only license; anyone in fall. | Crossbow deer hunting under age 10. | source |
| Wild turkey | Shotguns/muzzleloading shotguns 10 ga or smaller with No. 4 shot or smaller; bows 30 lb+ with 7/8 in. barbless or blunt heads; crossbows; red dots and rangefinders. | Rifles, dogs, live decoys, bait, electronic devices other than red dots/rangefinders/hearing aids, any weapon not legal for turkey. | source |
| Pheasant and Hungarian partridge | Shotgun (may hold more than 3 shells) or .22 rimfire short/long/long rifle. | Other rifles and handguns. | source |
| Migratory waterfowl and cranes | Shotgun 10 ga or smaller plugged to 3 shells with approved nontoxic shot. | Lead shot (or possessing it), rifles, pistols, traps, live decoys, recorded calls, sink boxes, motorboats under power. | source |
| Raccoon at night | .17 or .22 rimfire rifles/handguns (incl. .22 magnum) or shotguns with No. 4 shot or smaller; lights only once treed or bayed by dogs. | Taking a raccoon in a den or hollow tree or by cutting a tree. | source |
| Non-deer hunting during firearms deer season | Shotguns with No. 4 buckshot or smaller, .17/.22 rimfires, cased firearms, carry-permit handguns (from 5 days before to 2 days after the season). | Other firearms outdoors without a big game license. | source |
| Trapping | Foothold jaw opening up to 8 3/4 in.; body-grip up to 7 1/2 in. (larger as watersets); snares with 350-lb breakaway, loop 10 in. max, cable 1/8 in. max, top of loop 20 in. max. | Snares in deer trails, for bears, with spring poles, in culverts (except submerged); foothold traps within 20 ft of exposed bait; body-grip over 6 1/2 in. in small culverts or rights-of-way within 500 ft of occupied buildings. | source |
Counties with shotgun-only deer rules
| County | Ordinance |
|---|---|
| Brown County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Clay County | Partial shotgun-only ordinance |
| Cottonwood County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Dodge County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Faribault County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Houston County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Jackson County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Kandiyohi County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Nobles County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Pope County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Rock County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Watonwan County | Shotgun-only ordinance |
| Wilkin County | Partial shotgun-only ordinance |
Why rifles are now legal
The Legislature repealed the shotgun zone in 2025; counties may keep shotgun-only rules by ordinance. Counties that notified the state as of May 5, 2026 (booklet spells Faribault "Fairbault"). Check with the county. Statute 97B.031 subd. 7 lets former shotgun-zone counties keep shotgun-only deer rules by ordinance (zone repealed by 2025 law).
Crossbows
Archery license holders may use crossbows all archery season; any licensed hunter during youth, early antlerless and firearms seasons; bear license holders during bear season.
Other guns during deer season
No firearms outdoors from 5 days before to 2 days after the firearms season except big game guns with a license, cased/unloaded guns, shotguns with No. 4 buckshot or smaller, .17/.22 rimfires, carry permit holders.
Sources: deer, p. 80; shotgun ordinances, p. 94; Minn. Stat. 97B.031; firearms statute, verified line by line October 28, 2026.
Bait, feeding, carcasses and Sundays
Bait is where Minnesota is strict: no deer hunting over food anywhere, and in 37 counties no feeding or urine-based attractants at all. Bear hunters may bait from Aug. 14 at registered stations, and Sunday is an ordinary hunting day.
| Topic | Minnesota rule |
|---|---|
| Deer bait | Hunting deer with bait is illegal statewide; bait = grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, hay or other food placed by a person; salt/minerals/liquid scents allowed only without food ingredients; area baited until 10 days after removal. Penalties: no deer license for 1 year after conviction, 3 years for a second within 3 years, doubled for a deer scoring over 170; weapons seized. |
| Bear bait | Baiting allowed from Aug. 14, 2026 with registered, signed stations (max 3 per hunter; plus 3 per licensed outfitter); banned materials include carcasses over 25% intact, meat with bones, bones, swine parts except cured pork; drums on public land with $5 surcharge (residents); no baits in BPA 22, within 150 yd of a campsite or 1/2 mile of a dump. |
| Turkey | Hunting turkeys over bait or feed is illegal; area baited for 10 days after removal. |
| Migratory birds | Federal rule: no hunting over bait; area baited for 10 days after removal. |
| Carcasses from outside Minnesota | No carcasses of deer, elk or moose from outside Minnesota; allowed: quarters/meat without spine or head, boned or cut-and-wrapped meat, hides and teeth, antlers or clean skull plates, finished mounts; heads with cape only if delivered to a licensed taxidermist within 48 hours. Nonresidents passing through on a direct route are exempt. |
| Carcasses in the CWD zone | CWD management zone (18 DPAs): carcasses of all deer, including fawns, may leave the zone but must go to a refuse hauler, landfill, or be left on the private land of harvest with permission; exempt if taken to a Minnesota processor or licensed taxidermist or with a not-detected test. No carcass rules elsewhere in Minnesota. |
| Dumping carcasses | No carcass disposal on public land, road rights-of-way or water. |
| Sundays | No Sunday restriction appears in the 2026 booklet or chapter 97B; seasons run every day including Sundays. |
The 37 counties with a deer feeding and attractant ban
Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Carver, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Itasca, Le Sueur, McLeod, Meeker, Mower, Norman, Olmsted, Polk, Ramsey, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Steele, Traverse, Wabasha, Washington, Wilkin, Winona, Wright
Sources: baiting, p. 82; bear regulations; CWD, p. 88; carcass import, p. 93; Sunday hunting, verified line by line October 28, 2026.
How Minnesota hunters may hunt: 20 conduct rules
Grouped by what they govern, each card is the rule in short form with a link to the booklet page or statute it came from.
Shooting, lights and electronics
Shooting hours
Big game 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset; waterfowl 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset; no protected animals with firearms at night except raccoon and fox.
Artificial lights
No shining while possessing a weapon; no shining from 2 hours after sunset to sunrise; no shining posted land or fenced agricultural land, residences or building sites from a vehicle.
Night vision and thermal
Banned while taking wild animals except fox and coyote hunting (not during firearms deer season) or with weapons cased in a trunk.
Drones and radios
No drones or radios/cell phones to take big or small game (including recovery); radios allowed for unprotected animals; no electronic or motorized deer decoys; remote callers allowed for crows, furbearers and unprotected animals.
Vehicles, roads and transport
Shooting from vehicles and roads
No taking wild animals with a firearm or bow from a motor vehicle (except disability permit holders); no shooting at big game on or within the right-of-way of improved public roads.
Firearm transport
Unloaded and fully cased or in a closed trunk (Personal Protection Act handguns excepted); uncased unloaded long guns allowed while hunting or traveling to/from hunting, except in Anoka, Hennepin and Ramsey counties, cities of 2,500+, school grounds and refuges.
ATV use during deer seasons
Licensed deer hunters may not use ATVs/snowmobiles where their license is valid except before/after shooting hours, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., on own land or with permission; state forest trails closed to recreational riding during the firearms season.
Private land, parties and dogs
Trespass and agricultural land
Permission needed on posted or agricultural land; may not return for a year after being told to leave; no discharging a firearm within 500 ft of an occupied building or livestock on another's land without written permission.
Party hunting
Party members afield together with the same weapon class may tag deer for each other; the license holder must be at the site and validate; youth must take their own deer.
Dogs
No dogs chasing big game; tracking dogs on a 30-ft leash to recover wounded deer/bear; no dog training on DNR land Apr. 16-July 14; no dogs while turkey hunting; raccoons and foxes may be run with dogs in closed season.
Hunter harassment
No preventing or disrupting lawful hunting or trapping, including disturbing animals to do so.
Stands, blinds and decoys
Elevated stands
WMAs: portable stands removed daily (exceptions for bear hunters before Sept. 19 and northwest WMAs Nov. 1-Dec. 31); no permanent stands on state forests, parks, SNAs or federal land.
Waterfowl blinds and decoys
No blinds/decoys in public waters more than 1 hour before the season opens; decoys no more than 2 hours before shooting time and not left out overnight or unattended over 3 hours; no permanent blinds or sink boxes.
After the shot
Duty to render aid
A person who believes a shot injured someone must check and give reasonable help.
Wanton waste
May not waste a protected wild animal by failing to use usable parts; migratory birds must be retrieved.
Sale of game
Hides, bones, antlers, teeth, claws, sinew may be sold (not migratory birds); flesh of beaver, muskrat, raccoon, rabbits and hares may be sold; no sale of bear meat or gall bladders; bear paws only on the hide.
Road-killed animals
A possession permit (from a CO or local law enforcement) is required.
Inspections and seizure
Must allow inspection of firearms, licenses, game, vehicles and boats; unlawful game and equipment may be seized.
Traps and sobriety
Trap checks
Non-drowning traps tended every calendar day; drowning and body-grip traps every third day; no trap in place after season close; traps identified with DL number, ID number, name/address or MDNR number.
Hunting while intoxicated
No taking wild animals with a firearm or bow under the influence or with alcohol 0.08+; includes cannabis products.
Rules that change with the ground you stand on
A WMA, a refuge, an SNA, a national forest and a reservation each add rules on top of the statewide ones. These are the short versions; the land pages carry the details for each property.
Wildlife management areas
Portable stands removed daily (bear hunters near registered bait may leave them before Sept. 19; northwest WMAs Nov. 1-Dec. 31 with tags, max 2); dogs leashed Apr. 16-July 14; no drones; vehicles only on designated routes.
SNAs and state parks
Nontoxic ammunition required in SNAs (not peatland SNAs) and state park special hunts; 46 SNAs and 16 peatland SNAs open to hunting; 10 state parks/SRAs open to public hunting.
Federal land
WPAs open except where posted; NWRs closed unless opened; nontoxic shot for all shotgun hunting on WPAs/NWRs; national forests: portable stands Aug. 15-Dec. 31, no firearm discharge within 150 yards of buildings.
State game refuges
A state game refuge is closed to hunting and trapping unless listed. The booklet lists 47 refuges with what each one opens.
Controlled hunting zones
Roseau River, Thief Lake, Orwell, Lac qui Parle and Talcot Lake: Designated hunting stations first-come first-served; no occupying or parking 10 p.m.-5 a.m.; no alcohol; no refuse, offal or feathers left.
Red Lake and Nett Lake reservations
Red Lake Band lands in Beltrami, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods and Roseau counties closed to non-band members except by tribal council authorization. Nett Lake: closed to non-band members except duck hunting with a band-member guide. Other reservation lands may be open by authorization; non-band members follow all state regulations including licensing.
Protected wildlife and animals with no season
11 listings. A wolf may be killed only in defense of human life or as the wolf statute allows, moose and caribou have no state season, and the booklet warns hunters off any white bird with a black bill and legs, because swans are not game.
Gray (timber) wolf
No open season; may be taken only in defense of human life or as allowed by 97B.645 (report within 48 hours). Shooting a wolf mistaken for a coyote is illegal.
Canada lynx
No open season; incidentally killed lynx may not be possessed or transported without CO authorization; special snare rules in the lynx management zone (east and north of US 53).
Cougar, wolverine, moose, caribou, antelope, eastern spotted skunk
No open season.
Swans (tundra, trumpeter)
Not legal game birds; do not shoot white birds with black bills and legs.
Bobwhite quail, hawks, owls, eagles, herons, bitterns, cormorants, loons, grebes and most other birds
May not be taken; only designated game birds in season and unprotected birds may be taken.
Nongame migratory birds
Illegal to kill (federal).
White bears and bear cubs
May not be taken; bears in dens may not be taken or disturbed.
Collared or ear-tagged research bears
DNR asks hunters not to shoot collared bears.
Elk outside a licensed elk hunt
Shooting an elk mistaken for a deer is illegal; elk range centers on Kittson and Marshall counties.
Wild animals in burrows or dens
No disturbing any burrow or den Nov. 1-Apr. 1 without a permit.
Endangered, threatened and special-concern species (Minn. R. ch. 6134)
Protected wild animals; excluded from the unprotected class.
Penalties under chapters 97A and 97B
Most violations are misdemeanors. Gross overlimits and repeat trespass become gross misdemeanors with fines up to $3,000, restitution is owed for every animal on top of the fine, and a conviction voids the license.
General game and fish violations
Misdemeanor unless otherwise stated (violating, aiding, sharing proceeds, false statements, rules).
Gross misdemeanor
Fine $100-$3,000 and 90-364 days in county jail where the law defines a gross misdemeanor.
Gross overlimit
Taking, possessing or transporting wild animals over the limit, in closed season or without a license when restitution value exceeds $1,000 is a gross misdemeanor.
Restitution
Violators owe the state the value of animals killed, injured or possessed (values set by rule under 97A.345; doubled for animal-cruelty cases); credited to the game and fish fund.
Trespass
Misdemeanor; gross misdemeanor for knowingly ignoring signs, returning after notice, or repeat within 3 years; licenses void and no game license for 2 years after a gross misdemeanor; booklet: fines up to $3,000.
License revocation after conviction
Licenses void after game and fish convictions; generally no license of that kind for 1 year; 3 years after selling game worth $300+; gross overlimits: 10 years (restitution $2,000+), 5 years ($1,000-$2,000 or repeat over $500), 3 years for that animal type (over $500); separate big game rules (subd. 3).
Deer baiting
No deer license for 1 year after conviction; 3 years for a second within 3 years; doubled for deer scoring over 170; weapons seized.
Blaze clothing for small game
A violation of the small game blaze rule brings only a safety warning.
Firearm possession during deer season
A first violation of the 5-days-before/2-days-after possession rule is a warning.
Hunting while intoxicated
Warrantless arrest on probable cause; preliminary screening tests (97B.065 subds. 2-3).
Seizure and confiscation
Unlawfully taken animals and equipment (firearms, traps, bows) may be seized and confiscated; restitution in addition to fines.
Duty to render aid
Failing to check and help a person one may have shot is a crime (jail, fines).
The booklet summarizes Minnesota Statutes chapters 97A and 97B and DNR rules. Sources: Minn. Stat. 97A.301; Minn. Stat. 97A.338; Minn. Stat. 97A.315; Minn. Stat. 97A.015, verified line by line October 28, 2026.
Minnesota hunting law questions
Can I hunt on the Red Lake Reservation?
Red Lake Band lands in Beltrami, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods and Roseau counties closed to non-band members except by tribal council authorization.
Can I leave a tree stand on a WMA overnight?
WMAs: portable stands removed daily (exceptions for bear hunters before Sept. 19 and northwest WMAs Nov. 1-Dec. 31); no permanent stands on state forests, parks, SNAs or federal land.
Do Minnesota bowhunters have to wear blaze orange?
Not in areas open only to archery. Elsewhere, when a firearms or muzzleloader deer season is open, all hunters and trappers afield wear blaze orange or pink on the cap and above the waist.
Can I use a rifle for deer anywhere in Minnesota?
Almost. The shotgun zone was repealed in 2025, but Brown, Clay, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Houston, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Nobles, Pope, Rock, Watonwan and Wilkin have shotgun-only or partial ordinances.
Is it legal to feed deer in Minnesota?
Not in the 37 feeding and attractant ban counties, and hunting deer over bait is illegal everywhere in the state.
Is bear baiting allowed in Minnesota, and from when?
Baiting allowed from Aug. 14, 2026 with registered, signed stations (max 3 per hunter; plus 3 per licensed outfitter); banned materials include carcasses over 25% intact, meat with bones, bones, swine parts except cured pork; drums on public land with $5 surcharge (residents); no baits in BPA 22, within 150 yd of a campsite or 1/2 mile of a dump.
Can I bring a deer home from another state?
No carcasses of deer, elk or moose from outside Minnesota; allowed: quarters/meat without spine or head, boned or cut-and-wrapped meat, hides and teeth, antlers or clean skull plates, finished mounts; heads with cape only if delivered to a licensed taxidermist within 48 hours. Nonresidents passing through on a direct route are exempt.
Where do dogs fit in Minnesota big game hunting?
No dogs chasing big game; tracking dogs on a 30-ft leash to recover wounded deer/bear; no dog training on DNR land Apr. 16-July 14; no dogs while turkey hunting; raccoons and foxes may be run with dogs in closed season.
What happens if I trespass while hunting?
Misdemeanor; gross misdemeanor for knowingly ignoring signs, returning after notice, or repeat within 3 years; licenses void and no game license for 2 years after a gross misdemeanor; booklet: fines up to $3,000.
May I shoot a wolf I think is a coyote?
No open season; may be taken only in defense of human life or as allowed by 97B.645 (report within 48 hours). Shooting a wolf mistaken for a coyote is illegal.
Open the 2026-2027 booklet
Carry the license on paper or in the app, keep the booklet on your phone, and know the DPA, bear area or turkey area you declared. The buttons below go straight to the official text.
Other photos on this page: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); NPS Photo (Public domain).