Hunters: Register your deer
Hunters are required to register every deer they harvest before processing, before antlers are removed and within 48 hours after taking the animal. Hunters can register deer online, via phone or in person. Information from deer registration is essential for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to track and manage deer populations. Detailed registration instructions for all methods are available on the DNR website.
Deer carcass movement restrictions in place in
13 deer permit areas
Deer carcass movement restrictions are in place for 13 deer permit areas located in southeastern and north-central Minnesota and the south metro area.
DPAs 604, 605, 643, 644, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 655, 661, 679 and 684 together form the chronic wasting disease management zone. Hunters are not allowed to bring whole deer carcasses outside the management zone until a “not detected” test result is received. The restrictions apply to all deer taken within the CWD management zone, including fawns. Hunters are allowed to move whole deer carcasses in between contiguous disease management zone DPAs.
If hunters do not submit their deer for sampling or want to transport it outside the CWD management zone before getting a test result, they must debone or quarter their deer, properly disposing of the head and spinal column inside the zone. Meat and quarters with the main leg bone can leave the zone immediately. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides dumpsters for hunters to use to facilitate carcass disposal.
These restrictions are part of a comprehensive strategy to keep Minnesota’s deer, elk and moose healthy by limiting the spread of disease. Hunters can find details for the DPA in which they hunt by visiting the Minnesota DNR’s CWD webpage and using the “find the requirements for your DPA” tool.
Deer harvest numbers available online
Hunters, media and anyone interested in deer harvest data can find current deer harvest figures and harvest reports for past years on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ deer reports and statistics webpage. The page also features an interactive map and graph that visualizes the data.
Minnesota DNR webinars focus on elk in Minnesota, No Child Left Inside grants
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the fall program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.
In a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 1, Connie Cox, DNR naturalist, and Blane Klemek, DNR northwest regional wildlife manager, will discuss Minnesota elk. They will share the history of Minnesota elk herds and how they are managed, including some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to hunt them.
In a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 8, DNR staff will discuss the No Child Left Inside Grant program, which makes funds available to nonprofit organizations, schools, other government entities, and Native American tribes, schools or governments, to connect youth with nature and get them engaged in outdoor recreation. The webinar will cover the program in general, success stories from past grant projects and how to apply for upcoming funding.
The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.