Minnesota Deer Season 2026: Season A, B and Archery Dates

Deer season dates

Firearm Season A and Season B

Minnesota is divided into deer permit areas grouped in series. The southeast makes up the 300 Series, which has a second firearm season.

Find your permit area on the DNR deer permit area map.

One license a year

• Hunters may buy only one firearms, muzzleloader or archery deer license per calendar year.
• In antlerless lottery areas, the firearms and muzzleloader limit is one deer, which must be a legal buck unless you win an antlerless permit.
• Youth under 18 are exempt from the antlerless lottery.
• Landowners with at least 80 acres of agricultural or grazing land who allow public deer hunting can get a free license for one more antlerless deer.

What changed for 2026

• The statewide shotgun zone repeal is in effect. Some counties have adopted shotgun-only ordinances.
• Site validation replaces physical carcass tags.
• Carcass movement restrictions were eliminated, but carcass disposal rules apply in all seasons for all deer, including fawns.
• The DNR launched a new electronic license system in June. Hunters with several records in the old system may need help from the License Center.

CWD sampling

Minnesota now rotates mandatory chronic wasting disease sampling across four regions: southwest in 2026, northwest in 2027, northeast in 2028 and southeast in 2029. In the 2026 block, every deer one year old or older taken on opening weekend, Nov. 7 and 8, must be sampled within 24 hours, or within 72 hours with a postmarked mail-in kit. Hunters can use a staffed or self-service station, a free mail-in kit, or a participating taxidermist or processor. In CWD management zones outside the block, sampling is voluntary.

Registration

Register each deer within 48 hours and before processing, at a walk-in station, online or in the DNR Licensing app. Antlers must stay attached until the deer is registered.

Legal firearms

• Centerfire, single-projectile cartridges of .220 caliber or larger with a soft-point or expanding bullet.
• Muzzleloaders of at least .45 caliber smoothbore or .40 caliber rifled. Muzzleloading revolvers are not legal.
• Nontoxic ammunition is required in some special hunts and certain Scientific and Natural Areas.

Blaze orange or pink

Firearms deer hunters must wear blaze orange or camouflage pink above the waist, and a hat, if worn, must be blaze orange or pink.

Youth and early antlerless

The youth deer season and the early antlerless season both run Oct. 15, 2026 to Oct. 18, 2026. Check the DNR permit area map for where the early antlerless season is open.

Frequently asked questions

When does Minnesota firearms deer season open in 2026?

Nov. 7, 2026. Season A runs Nov. 7, 2026 to Nov. 22, 2026 in 100 Series permit areas and Nov. 7, 2026 to Nov. 15, 2026 in 200 and 300 Series areas. Season B runs Nov. 21, 2026 to Nov. 29, 2026 in 300 Series areas.

When is Minnesota archery deer season?

Sept. 19, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026, statewide. Crossbows are legal for all archery deer hunters 10 and older.

When is muzzleloader season in Minnesota?

Nov. 28, 2026 to Dec. 13, 2026, statewide.

Can I buy more than one deer license in Minnesota?

No. You may buy only one firearms, muzzleloader or archery deer license per calendar year.

How long do I have to register a deer in Minnesota?

48 hours after taking it, and before processing. Antlers must stay attached until the deer is registered. Register at a walk-in station, online or in the DNR Licensing app.

Is the Minnesota shotgun zone gone?

Yes. The statewide shotgun zone repeal is in effect for 2026. Some counties have adopted their own shotgun-only ordinances, so check local rules.

Deer season in other states

Texas · Pennsylvania · Michigan · Wisconsin · Ohio · Georgia · New York · Missouri · Indiana · Virginia · North Carolina · Kentucky · Tennessee · Alabama. Compare every state on the deer season dates by state page.

Duck seasons are on the Minnesota duck season page.

Always check the DNR permit area map and county ordinances before hunting.