No season
Swans: closed in Minnesota
Why swans have no Minnesota season, with the law behind it.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Minnesota opens no season on swans in 2026-27. The DNR booklet and chapter 97A explain why, and the open seasons nearest to it are listed further down.
The DNR line on swans
- Bag: Closed
- Background: Not legal game birds.
DNR source page (as of Sep 15, 2026), checked October 28, 2026.
Swans status in Minnesota
- Not legal game birds in Minnesota.
- Not legal game birds.
- Swans (tundra, trumpeter): Not legal game birds; do not shoot white birds with black bills and legs.
booklet p. 41, checked October 28, 2026.
Swans opening and closing days
The swan calendar has 1 line; unit and zone links lead to the pages where dates change by area.
| Row | Zone | Take | Begins | Through | Days | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No season | Statewide | Closed | Closed |
Swan season footnotes
- Not legal game birds in Minnesota.
From booklet p. 41, checked October 28, 2026.
Instead of swans, try these
| Species | Season | Where | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Geese | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 |
| Light Geese | Regular geese | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 |
| Light Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
| Light Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Dec 30, 2026 |
| Canada Goose | Youth days | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 |
| Canada Goose | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 |
| Canada Goose | Regular geese | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 |
| Canada Goose | Regular geese | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
| Ducks | Early teal season | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Sandhill Crane | Northwest zone | Sandhill Crane Zone (northwest; zones.s… | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
DNR booklet, checked October 28, 2026.
Law enforcement and swans
| Rule | Penalty |
|---|---|
| General game and fish violations | Misdemeanor unless otherwise stated (violating, aiding, sharing proceeds, false statements, rules). |
| 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. |
| 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). |
| Seizure and confiscation | Unlawfully taken animals and equipment (firearms, traps, bows) may be seized and confiscated; restitution in addition to fines. |
Report a violation to the Turn In Poachers line, 800-652-9093, any hour.
Minnesota Statutes 97A.301 and booklet TIP page, checked October 28, 2026.
Minnesota wildlife off limits, swans included
| Species | Rule |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| White bears and bear cubs | May not be taken; bears in dens may not be taken or disturbed. |
| Elk outside a licensed elk hunt | Shooting an elk mistaken for a deer is illegal; elk range centers on Kittson and Marshall counties. |
From the DNR booklet and Minnesota Statutes 97A.015, checked October 28, 2026.
Where swans sit in Minnesota wildlife law
| Group | Species | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 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). |
| 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 turk | Bobwhite quail have no season (booklet p. 32). |
| 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). |
From Minnesota Statutes 97A.015 and the DNR booklet, checked October 28, 2026.
Answers on swans
Is swan trapping legal?
No season means no trapping of swans.
Is there a hotline for swan violations?
Turn In Poachers 24-hour hotline 800-652-9093.
What if I mistake a swan for a snow goose?
Not legal game birds; do not shoot white birds with black bills and legs.
Which DNR page lists swans?
See page 41 of the DNR booklet.
Are there fines for killing swans?
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.
Can I hunt light geese near swans?
Light geese (snow, blue and Ross’s) are open in the early and regular goose seasons and in the spring conservation action, Feb. 18-Apr. 30, 2027; swans stay closed.
What can be hunted that resembles swans?
For 2026-27: Light Geese (Sep 5, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027), Canada Goose (Sep 5, 2026 to Jan 6, 2027), Ducks (Sep 5 to Dec 6, 2026) and Sandhill Crane (Sep 12 to Oct 18, 2026).
Is swan hunting allowed in Minnesota?
The booklet gives none. Not legal game birds in Minnesota.
Are other big animals closed too?
The booklet gives no season to Moose, Caribou, Pronghorn, Bobwhite Quail, Gray Wolf, Canada Lynx, Cougar, Wolverine and Eastern Spotted Skunk.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).