MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Minnesota DNR Releases 2026 Hunting Regulations With Major Changes for Deer Hunters

ST. PAUL, MN (July 30, 2026). Minnesota hunters preparing for the 2026 seasons will encounter significant changes involving chronic wasting disease testing, deer carcass transportation, firearms restrictions and electronic licensing.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released the state’s 2026 hunting and trapping regulations this week. The changes include a four-year rotating surveillance system for chronic wasting disease, revised requirements for handling carcasses from disease-management areas and elimination of Minnesota’s former statewide shotgun zone.

The DNR is dividing Minnesota into four surveillance regions to obtain a broader picture of where chronic wasting disease is present.

During each year of the rotation, hunters in one region will be required to submit deer that are at least one year old for testing if the animals are harvested during the opening weekend of the firearms season.

The 2026 mandatory surveillance region is southwestern Minnesota. The rotation will move to northwestern Minnesota in 2027, northeastern Minnesota in 2028 and southeastern Minnesota in 2029.

The DNR said nearly two-thirds of Minnesota had not undergone a targeted chronic wasting disease surveillance effort in more than 20 years. The rotating system is intended to gather more complete statewide information while continuing disease management in areas where CWD has already been detected.

Hunters affected by mandatory testing will have several options. They may bring deer to staffed or self-service sampling stations, obtain free mail-in sampling kits before the season or use participating taxidermists.

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer, elk and related animals. It is caused by abnormal proteins known as prions. Wildlife officials use testing, feeding restrictions, carcass-management rules and targeted population controls to reduce the risk of the disease spreading.

Minnesota is also changing how hunters may transport deer taken from CWD management zones. Hunters may move a whole carcass outside a management zone if they arrange for its remains to be disposed of through a refuse hauler, landfill or meat processor. A carcass may also be left on private property with the property owner’s permission.

The change gives hunters more flexibility than previous rules, which generally required them to quarter a deer before moving it or wait for a negative test result.

The importation rule remains different. Hunters bringing deer into Minnesota from another state must still follow restrictions designed to prevent potentially infected carcass material from entering Minnesota.

Because of the revised disposal system, the DNR will discontinue its deer-carcass dumpster program beginning with the 2026 fall season.

Another major change is the elimination of Minnesota’s former shotgun zone. The Legislature repealed the statewide restriction, but county governments may adopt local ordinances limiting which firearms hunters can use.

The DNR reported that 13 counties have shotgun-only ordinances affecting all or part of their territory for the 2026 season: Brown, Clay, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Houston, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Nobles, Pope, Rock, Watonwan and Wilkin counties.

In other Minnesota counties, hunters may use legal rifles, shotguns and handguns during firearms deer seasons, subject to all other state and local requirements.

The state has also introduced a modernized electronic licensing system that changes how hunters purchase licenses and validate harvested animals. Hunters should review the instructions before the season rather than assuming the tagging and registration process remains unchanged.

The DNR has combined waterfowl rules with the main hunting and trapping regulations book. Hunters should consult the complete regulations, individual deer-permit-area information and county ordinances before hunting.

Rules can differ by species, season, permit area and county. The DNR cautions hunters that summaries do not replace the complete regulations.

Sources:

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, “Minnesota Hunting Regulations Available for 2026 Seasons,” July 27, 2026
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/2026/07/27/minnesota-hunting-regulations-available-2026-seasons

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2026 Hunting and Trapping Regulations

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/full_regs.pdf

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Deer Hunting Information

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/index.html

MinneapoliMedia | Community. Culture. Civic Life