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Lotteries, quota permits and special deer hunts · 2026-27
Minnesota Special Hunts and Lotteries
Every 2026 draw and its deadline: the antlerless permit lottery in 32 deer permit areas, 5,330 bear permits in 15 quota areas, 12 elk licenses, 117 prairie chicken licenses and the spring turkey WMA lottery, plus the special deer hunts in state parks, scientific and natural areas, cities and Camp Ripley.
Photo: ShenandoahNPS (Public domain)
Minnesota lottery deadlines for 2026 and 2027
Most Minnesota draws are made at the time you buy a license: the antlerless lottery, for one, is entered by declaring a lottery DPA by Sept. 10. Special hunts now use preference points separate from the antlerless draw, so a hunter can apply for both.
Antlerless permit lottery: firearm and muzzleloader hunters in the 32 lottery DPAs are entered by declaring a lottery DPA when buying a license by Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026 (DNR deer page also says Sept. 4 in one paragraph); the permit is valid for firearm and muzzleloader seasons. Exempt: youth under 18, residents 84+, Veterans Home residents, stationary-vehicle permit holders, eligible military/veterans. Separate preference points for antlerless and special hunt drawings (new 2026); hunters may apply for both.
| Lottery or application | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bear (2026 season) | May 1, 2026 | Winners buy by Aug. 1; surplus at noon Aug. 5. |
| Bear (2027 season) | May 1, 2027 | Booklet p. 105; DNR seasons page lists May 7, 2027. |
| Youth special deer hunts | Aug 14, 2026 | – |
| Prairie chicken | Aug 14, 2026 | Residents only; 117 licenses. |
| Antlerless deer and firearm/muzzleloader special hunts | Sep 10, 2026 | Surplus antlerless permits from 5 p.m. Oct. 5 per booklet, but the DNR deer page says no surplus lottery permits this year. |
| Spring turkey WMA lottery (2027) | Feb 12, 2027 | – |
| Elk (2027) | No date yet | Applications from May 2027. |
| Youth deer hunt (2027) | Aug 20, 2027 | – |
| Antlerless and special hunt (2027) | Sep 9, 2027 | – |
| Prairie chicken (2027) | Aug 20, 2027 | – |
Cancelled after the booklet went to print
- Minneopa State Park youth firearms special hunt
- Nerstrand Big Woods SP and Prairie Creek Woods SNA muzzleloader special hunt
- Rice Lake State Park muzzleloader special hunt
- Myre Big Island State Park muzzleloader special hunt
- Carlos Avery WMA waterfowl hunting opportunity
Sources: booklet p. 81; DNR lotteries page; DNR seasons page; DNR regulations updates, each one reopened October 28, 2026.
Antlerless lottery quotas in all 32 lottery DPAs
8,450 antlerless permits across 32 DPAs, from 25 in the smallest quotas to 2,000 in DPA 259. Youth under 18 and residents 84 and older need no lottery permit to take an antlerless deer there; the booklet lists the other exemptions.
| DPA | 2026 permits | Series | Firearms season | Main counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 104 | 25 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Koochiching |
| 107 | 500 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Koochiching |
| 109 | 50 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Koochiching, St. Louis, Itasca |
| 110 | 250 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Beltrami, Koochiching, Itasca |
| 111 | 25 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Lake of the Woods, Beltrami |
| 133 | 50 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Lake, St. Louis |
| 153 | 500 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Carlton, Pine |
| 154 | 25 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Pine, Carlton |
| 155 | 750 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Aitkin |
| 156 | 1,000 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Carlton, Aitkin, Pine |
| 169 | 25 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Itasca |
| 171 | 500 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Aitkin, Cass |
| 172 | 500 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Cass, Crow Wing |
| 173 | 50 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Aitkin, St. Louis, Carlton |
| 176 | 25 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | St. Louis, Itasca |
| 177 | 25 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | St. Louis |
| 178 | 25 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | St. Louis |
| 181 | 100 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | St. Louis |
| 197 | 300 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Cass, Itasca |
| 199 | 25 | 100 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, 2026 | Carlton, St. Louis |
| 234 | 100 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Rock, Nobles |
| 237 | 100 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Nobles |
| 238 | 50 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Cottonwood, Murray, Jackson |
| 259 | 2,000 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Hubbard, Cass |
| 270 | 150 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Wilkin, Otter Tail |
| 272 | 150 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Grant, Stevens |
| 274 | 400 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Big Stone |
| 278 | 300 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Lac qui Parle, Chippewa |
| 280 | 150 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Yellow Medicine, Lac qui Parle |
| 282 | 25 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Renville, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Swift |
| 297 | 25 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Mahnomen, Becker |
| 298 | 250 | 200 | Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2026 | Becker, Mahnomen, Clearwater |
Counties shown cover at least a tenth of the DPA. Sources: lottery quotas, p. 81; DNR deer map service, each one reopened October 28, 2026.
5,330 bear permits in 15 quota areas
Bear hunting runs Sep 1-Oct 18, 2026. Permits for the quota areas were drawn from applications due May 1; winners bought by Aug. 1 and leftover permits went on sale at noon on Aug. 5. Outside the quota areas the no-quota license is sold over the counter without limit.
| Bear permit area | 2026 permits | Left for the Aug. 5 surplus | Main counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 100 | 13 | Lake of the Woods, Beltrami, Roseau |
| 13 | 300 | 59 | Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Beltrami |
| 14 | 10 | 5 | Lake of the Woods |
| 22 | 75 | 28 | Lake, Cook, St. Louis |
| 24 | 100 | 11 | St. Louis, Itasca |
| 25 | 375 | 48 | St. Louis, Koochiching |
| 27 | 450 | 75 | Itasca, Beltrami |
| 28 | 60 | 7 | Itasca, Cass, Beltrami |
| 31 | 400 | 73 | St. Louis, Lake, Cook |
| 41 | 250 | 41 | Beltrami, Clearwater |
| 45 | 700 | 99 | Crow Wing, Cass, Wadena, Morrison, Otter Tail |
| 46 | 950 | 148 | Hubbard, Becker, Cass, Clearwater, Mahnomen |
| 47 | 40 | 3 | Cass |
| 51 | 1,500 | 274 | Aitkin, Carlton, St. Louis, Itasca, Mille Lacs, Pine |
| 53 | 20 | 2 | Carlton, St. Louis |
2026: 15 quota bear permit areas (5,330 permits) plus the no-quota area. Changes: BPA 451 removed into the no-quota area; part of BPA 12 west of Red Lake Reservation and part of BPA 46 west of White Earth Reservation moved to the no-quota area; the Trout Lake Unit of the BWCAW is now in BPA 22. Red Lake Reservation closed to non-band members.
Sources: DNR bear page; 2026 bear regulations, each one reopened October 28, 2026.
Elk, prairie chicken and turkey draws
Elk licenses are once in a lifetime and the 12 of them are split among seasons A to G in the Grygla and Kittson County zones. Prairie chicken hunting is a Sep 26-Oct 4, 2026 season for 117 lottery winners, residents only, in eleven northwest permit areas.
Elk seasons and licenses
| Season | Kind | Zone | Dates | Licenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season A | either-sex | Zone 10 | Sep 12-20, 2026 | 1 |
| Season B | antlerless | Zone 10 | Sep 12-20, 2026 | 1 |
| Season C | either-sex | Zone 20 | Sep 12-20, 2026 | 1 |
| Season D | antlerless | Zone 20 | Sep 12-20, 2026 | 2 |
| Season E | either-sex | Zone 30 | Sep 12-20, 2026 | 1 |
| Season F | antlerless | Zone 30 | Sep 12-20, 2026 | 2 |
| Season G | antlerless | Zone 30 | Sep 26-Oct 4, 2026 | 4 |
Prairie chicken permit areas
| Area | Licenses | Counties (map-read) |
|---|---|---|
| 803A | 6 | Pennington, Red Lake and Polk |
| 804A | 8 | Polk |
| 805A | 8 | Polk |
| 806A | 10 | Polk and Norman |
| 807A | 20 | Norman |
| 808A | 20 | Clay |
| 809A | 15 | Clay |
| 810A | 15 | Clay and Wilkin |
| 811A | 5 | Wilkin and Otter Tail |
| 812A | 5 | Clay, Becker, Mahnomen and Norman |
| 813A | 5 | Polk, Norman and Mahnomen |
Spring turkey WMA lottery
Hunting is open statewide in every area; hunters declare the area hunted most and report the harvest area at registration. In spring 2026 lotteries were held only for period A in areas 502 and 511 (2026 harvest report). The 2027 spring WMA lottery closes Feb. 12, 2027.
Sources: DNR elk page; DNR prairie chicken page; DNR turkey page, each one reopened October 28, 2026.
68 special deer hunts on public land
61 of these hunts take a drawn permit and the rest are open to any licensed hunter within the hunt rules. Deer taken on a special hunt count toward the statewide limit, not the limit of the surrounding DPA.
| Hunt | Where and kind | Dates, 2026 | Permits | Bag | Deer | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 951 | Afton State Park youth firearm, permit required | Nov. 7-8 | 30 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 964 | Afton State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 8-10 | 30 | 3 | Antlerless only | Permit |
| 965 | Banning State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 31-Nov.1 | 6 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 918 | Beaver Creek Valley State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-6 | 25 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 973 | Big Stone Lake State Park (Meadowbrook Area only) adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-13 | 10 | 2 | Antlerless only | Permit |
| 966 | Blue Mounds State Park youth firearm, permit required | Dec. 5-6 | 10 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 959 | Buffalo River State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 24-25 | 12 | 2 | Earn-a-buck | Permit |
| 967 | Camden State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 24-25 | 12 | 2 | Earn-a-buck | Permit |
| 900 | Cascade River State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-22 | 30 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 936 | Crow Wing State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-9 | 15 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 933 | Forestville Mystery Cave State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-8 | 75 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 988 | Franz Jevne State Park firearm, no permit needed | Nov 7-22 | Unlimited | 3 Deer | Either-Sex | No permit |
| 940 | Frontenac State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 21-22 | 60 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 919 | Glacial Lakes State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 12-15 | 20 | 1 | Antlerless only | Permit |
| 904 | Gooseberry Falls State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-22 | 25 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 962 | Great River Bluffs State Park and King's and Queen's Bluff Scientific and Natural Area adult firearm, permit required | Nov 21-22 | 40 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 987 | Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area archery, no permit needed | Sep 19-Dec 31 | Unlimited | 3 | Either-Sex | No permit |
| 908 | Hayes Lake State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-22 | 50 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 938 | Hayes Lake State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Nov 28-Dec 13 | 50 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 287 | Itasca State Park firearm, no permit needed | Nov 7-15 | Unlimited | 1 Deer | Either-Sex | No permit |
| 287 | Itasca State Park muzzleloader, no permit needed | Nov 28-Dec 13 | Unlimited | 1 | Either-Sex | No permit |
| 935 | Jay Cooke State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-9 | 75 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 911 | Judge C.R. Magney State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-22 | 25 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 963 | Kilen Woods State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 31 -Nov.1 | 6 | 2 | Either sex | Permit |
| 991 | Kilen Woods State Park adult firearm, permit required | Dec 26-Jan 2 | 10 | 2 | Antlerless only | Permit |
| 909 | Lake Bemidji State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-10 | 30 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 947 | Lake Bemidji State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 4-6 | 30 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 954 | Lake Bemidji State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 16-18 | 10 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 915 | Lake Bronson State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-15 | 25 | 2 | Earn-a-buck | Permit |
| 953 | Lake Bronson State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Nov 28-Dec 13 | 15 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 969 | Lake Bronson State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 24-25 | 10 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 913 | Lake Carlos State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-10 | 20 | 1 | Antlerless only | Permit |
| 903 | Lake Louise State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 14-15 | 25 | 3 | Earn-a-buck | Permit |
| 960 | Lake Maria State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 11-13 | 27 | 3 | Earn-a-buck | Permit |
| 968 | Lake Shetek State Park youth firearm, permit required | Nov. 21-22 | 15 | 2 | Antlerless only | Permit |
| 937 | Lake Vermilion – Soudan Underground Mine State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Nov 28-Dec 13 | 15 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 916 | Maplewood State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-10 | 100 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 929 | McCarthy Beach State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Nov 28-Dec 13 | 15 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 899 | Minneopa State Park youth firearm, permit required | Nov. 14-15 | 12 | 2 | Either-Sex | Cancelled |
| 979 | Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area- Carver Rapids Unit & Thompson Ferry Unit Archery archery, no permit needed | Sep 19-Dec 31 | Unlimited | 5 | Either-Sex | No permit |
| 939 | Myre Big Island State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-6 | 50 | 5 | Antlerless only | Cancelled |
| 930 | Nerstrand Big Woods State Park and Prairie Creek Woods Scientific and Natural Area adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-6 | 50 | 5 | Earn-a-buck | Cancelled |
| 922 | Old Mill State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-10 | 10 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 926 | Pin Oak Prairie Scientific and Natural Area adult archery, permit required | Oct 1-Nov 30 | 8 | 5 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 901 | Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge adult firearm, permit required | Nov 14-22 | 40 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 932 | Rice Lake State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-6 | 20 | 3 | Antlerless only | Cancelled |
| 894 | Sakatah Lake State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-6 | 15 | 3 | Earn-a-buck | Permit |
| 948 | Savanna Portage State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Nov 28-Dec 6 | 30 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 958 | Savanna Portage State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 24-25 | 25 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 907 | Scenic State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Nov 28-Dec 13 | 15 | 2 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 912 | Schoolcraft State Park firearm, no permit needed | Nov 7-22 | Unlimited | 1 Deer | Either-Sex | No permit |
| 971 | Schoolcraft State Park muzzleloader, no permit needed | Nov 28-Dec 13 | Unlimited | 1 | Either-Sex | No permit |
| 942 | Sibley State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 5-6 | 60 | 2 | Antlerless only | Permit |
| 952 | Sibley State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 24-25 | 10 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 905 | Split Rock Lighthouse State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-22 | 15 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 902 | St. Croix State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 19-22 | 200 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 949 | St. Croix State Park adult muzzleloader, permit required | Dec 1-6 | 75 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 956 | St. Croix State Park youth firearm, permit required | Oct. 31 -Nov. 1 | 45 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 906 | Tettegouche State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-22 | 25 | 1 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 944 | Vermillion Highlands Research, Recreation and Wildlife Management Area adult muzzleloader, permit required | Nov 28-Dec 13 | 20 | 3 | Other | Permit |
| 975 | Vermillion Highlands Research, Recreation and Wildlife Management Area adult archery, permit required | Sep 19-Oct 30 | 60 | 3 | Other | Permit |
| 927 | Whitewater State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 21-22 | 50 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 934 | Whitewater State Game Refuge adult firearm, permit required | Nov 21-29 | 100 | 2 | Antlerless only | Permit |
| 920 | Wild River State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-9 | 55 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 914 | William O'Brien State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 14-15 | 50 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 910 | Zippel Bay State Park adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-22 | 75 | 3 | Earn-a-buck | Permit |
| 921 | Zumbro Falls Woods Scientific and Natural Area – 3A Firearm adult firearm, permit required | Nov 7-15 | 12 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
| 923 | Zumbro Falls Woods Scientific and Natural Area – 3B Firearm adult firearm, permit required | Nov 21-29 | 12 | 3 | Either-Sex | Permit |
Cancelled marks follow the DNR update notices; nontoxic ammunition is required on the SNA and state park hunts. Sources: special hunts, p. 100; booklet p. 101; cancellations, each one reopened October 28, 2026.
City hunts, no-permit park hunts and late CWD lands
Several cities and parks run hunts with no draw at all, only an application or the posted rules, and the late CWD season gives public land hunters three more days in 9 DPAs of the management zone.
| Weapon | Area | Hunt | Dates | Bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | City of Baxter | 989 | Sept. 19-Dec. 31 | 5 | Application required (city) |
| Archery | City of East Gull Lake | 880 | Sept. 19-Dec. 31 | 5 | – |
| Archery | City of Grand Rapids | 995 | Sept. 19-Dec. 31 | 3 | – |
| Archery | City of Jackson | 928 | Sept. 19-Dec. 31 | 3 | – |
| Archery | City of Red Wing | 977 | Sept. 19-Dec. 11 | 5 | Fee $20; application required |
| Archery | Greenleaf Lake SRA | 987 | Sept. 19-Dec. 31 | 3 | – |
| Archery | Minnesota Valley SRA (Carver Rapids and Thompson Ferry units) | 979 | Sept. 19-Dec. 31 | 5 | – |
| Firearms | City of Baxter | 993 | Nov. 7-22 | 5 | Application required (hunt number corrected to 993) |
| Firearms | City of Grand Rapids | 931 | Nov. 7-22 | 3 | Mandatory CWD sampling |
| Firearms | Franz Jevne State Park | 988 | Nov. 7-22 | 3 | – |
| Firearms | Itasca State Park | 287 | Nov. 7-15 | 1 | – |
| Firearms | Schoolcraft State Park | 912 | Nov. 7-22 | 1 | – |
| Muzzleloader | City of Baxter | 941 | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 | 5 | Application required |
| Muzzleloader | City of Grand Rapids | 946 | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 | 3 | Mandatory CWD sampling |
| Muzzleloader | Itasca State Park (incl. Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary) | 287 | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 | 1 | – |
| Muzzleloader | Schoolcraft State Park | 971 | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 | 1 | – |
Late CWD season on public land, Dec 18-20, 2026
| Area and notes | Counts toward limit | Permit needed |
|---|---|---|
| Rushford Sand Barrens SNA | No | No |
| Savage Fen SNA Archery only | No | No |
| Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA Portions | No | No |
| Pin Oak Prairie SNA | Yes | Yes |
| Minnesota Valley SRA Carver Rapids Unit Archery only | No | No |
| Minnesota Valley NWR Refuge rules | No | No |
| Vermillion Highlands WMA Closed (scheduled special hunt) | NA | NA |
| Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park and Prairie Creek Woods SNA DNR update notice cancels the Nerstrand muzzleloader special hunt | Yes | Yes |
Sources: no-permit hunts, p. 101; late CWD lands, p. 103; CWD rules, each one reopened October 28, 2026.
Camp Ripley and refuge hunts
Camp Ripley opens its archery deer season to anyone with an iSportsman permit and a DNR archery license, while its muzzleloader and turkey hunts are kept for service members and their families. National wildlife refuges add their own quota hunts on top of the state seasons.
Camp Ripley archery
Archery deer season Sept. 19-Dec. 31, 2026 open to all user types with a Camp Ripley iSportsman permit (on sale Aug. 1, sold through the season) and a valid DNR archery license; bag limit, licensing and registration of Deer Permit Area 248 apply. Daily iSportsman check-in, vehicle pass at Range Control, 300 archery hunters at a time, exit by 8 p.m.; no trail cameras; no stands, blinds or equipment left overnight; blaze orange required for archers during state firearms and muzzleloader seasons. Muzzleloader deer (Nov. 30-Dec. 8, 2026) and turkey hunts are limited to service members, veterans, military civilians and their dependent youth.
Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge hunts
Hunt units: Special Hunt (479 acres, permit: Signed Brochure or Similar); Open Hunt (1,555 acres, permit: Signed Brochure or Similar); Closed (160 acres, permit: Signed Brochure or Similar). Federal refuge rules list goose, duck, merganser, coot, woodcock, common moorhen, mourning dove, Sora/Virginia rail, crow, common snipe and white-tailed deer.
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge hunts
Hunt units: Rapids Lake (1,900 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Chaska (565 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Louisville S (1,235 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Louisville N (1,390 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Saint Lawrence (451 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Jessenland (1,121 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Blakeley (1,121 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Long Meadow Lake (2,329 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Wilkie R (606 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Wilkie W (1,143 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Bloomington Ferry (356 acres, permit: Special Use Permit); Upgrala (403 acres, permit: Special Use Permit). Federal refuge rules list migratory game birds, upland game, unprotected wild animals, bear and white-tailed deer.
Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge hunts
Hunt units: Unit A – Open (10,377 acres). Federal refuge rules list woodcock, common snipe, ruffed grouse, spruce grouse, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare and white-tailed deer. Special hunt 901: Nov 14-22, 40 permits.
Minnesota lottery and special hunt questions
Can nonresidents hunt prairie chickens in Minnesota?
No. The 117 licenses go to residents through a lottery that closed Aug. 14, 2026.
How many elk licenses are there?
12 in 2026, across seasons A to G in zones 10, 20 and 30.
Who can hunt Camp Ripley?
Archers with a Camp Ripley iSportsman permit and a DNR archery license; the muzzleloader and turkey hunts are for service members, veterans, military civilians and their dependent youth.
Do I need a permit for a state park deer hunt?
For most of them, yes: 61 of the 68 special hunts listed here take a drawn permit. A few parks and cities run hunts with no permit.
When is the Minnesota antlerless lottery deadline?
Declare a lottery DPA when you buy a firearms or muzzleloader license by Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. For 2027 the date is Sept. 9.
What special hunts were cancelled for 2026?
Minneopa State Park youth firearms special hunt, Nerstrand Big Woods SP and Prairie Creek Woods SNA muzzleloader special hunt, Rice Lake State Park muzzleloader special hunt, Myre Big Island State Park muzzleloader special hunt and Carlos Avery WMA waterfowl hunting opportunity.
Which DPA has the biggest antlerless quota?
DPA 259, with 2,000 permits in 2026.
Are there leftover antlerless permits this year?
The booklet mentions surplus permits from Oct. 5, but the DNR deer page says there are no surplus lottery permits this year.
When is the bear lottery deadline?
May 1 for the 2026 season. For 2027 the booklet prints May 1 and the DNR seasons page prints May 7, 2027, so check both.
Check the booklet itself
Minnesota dropped physical tags in 2026: you validate at the kill site in the app or on the paper license, then register online, in the app or at a walk-in station. Phone registration is gone.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0).