Grouse hunting with dad. A beautiful fall day on Minnesota’s beautiful public land!” courtesy of Cara Hanson
Hunters, you can now review a variety of significant updates made in the recently released 2026 Minnesota hunting and trapping regulations. Hunting and trapping licenses will be available to purchase starting Saturday, Aug. 1. Some key regulation changes include:
A four-year statewide rotational surveillance plan for chronic wasting disease.
A new rule to make it easier to handle deer carcasses from CWD zones.
Elimination of the state’s shotgun zone for deer hunting, with some county-enacted exceptions.
Merging of the waterfowl hunting regulations book into the main hunting and trapping regulations book.
A modernized electronic licensing system that changes how hunters buy licenses and validate harvests.
Rotational CWD surveillance
In response to the evolving CWD landscape, the Minnesota DNR is moving to a four-year statewide rotational surveillance plan. To accomplish this plan, the state has been divided into four quadrants. Each year, hunters in one quadrant will be required to have all deer they harvest during firearms opening weekend that are one year old or older tested for CWD.
We made this shift to get a clearer, more complete picture of where CWD is in Minnesota. Recent detections of CWD in new areas and endemic status in the southeast core make a broader approach necessary for both disease surveillance and efficient use of resources.
While our past approach to sampling near areas of known disease has successfully monitored CWD spread in risk areas, nearly two-thirds of the state hasn’t had a targeted surveillance effort in more than 20 years.
Getting your deer tested for CWD
CWD mail-in kit
Hunters in the current surveillance quadrant will have multiple ways to test deer on opening weekend, including visiting a staffed or self-service sampling station, obtaining a free mail-in sampling kit before opening weekend, or visiting one of the taxidermists participating in the partner sampling program.
Mandatory sampling will begin in southwest Minnesota in 2026, with the northwest in 2027, northeast in 2028 and the southeast in 2029. More information on this change, CWD testing station locations, and other important details, are in this year’s hunting and trapping regulations or at the DNR’s CWD webpage.
Hunters statewide will continue to have free, convenient ways to get their deer tested, such as mail-in kits, the Partner Sampling Program, and appointments at Minnesota DNR wildlife offices. These statewide options are all offered in addition to the mandatory sampling during firearms opening weekend in the current surveillance block.
Carcass disposal rule changes
Courtesy of Sarah Kern
This year the carcass movement restrictions have been eliminated and replaced with a carcass disposal rule. Under this new rule, carcasses of all deer harvested within CWD management zones must be disposed of with a refuse hauler, at a local landfill or with a meat processor. Alternatively, if hunters harvest a deer on private property, they may leave the carcass on the private property where the deer was harvested with permission from the landowner.
The rule change will allow carcasses from deer harvested within a CWD management zone to move outside the zone before test results are received.
Importantly, as a result of the new carcass disposal rule, the DNR is eliminating its dumpster program. DNR-provided dumpsters will not be available to hunters starting in fall 2026.
Shotgun zone changes
A law change in 2025 resulted in changes to the state’s former shotgun zone. Counties may adopt an ordinance to restrict weapon type and remain shotgun-only for deer hunting.
To date, 13 counties have passed ordinances that that are in effect for this season and apply to part of or all of the county and allow shotguns only: Brown, Clay (shotgun-only ordinance in part of county), Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Houston, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Nobles, Pope, Rock, Watonwan, Wilkin (no changes from previous years; part of county remains shotgun-only). In all other counties in Minnesota, all legal shotguns, handguns, and rifles may be used to take deer during firearms seasons.
Important note about this county list
Please be aware that these 13 counties listed are those that chose to notify the DNR of their change by May 5, 2026, so we could include in the regulations book. Counties were not required to notify the DNR, and some may have changed ordinances in more recent months. Hunters, your most accurate information will be found by contacting the county where you are planning to hunt.
Waterfowl regulations information merged
Wood ducks courtesy of Jasmine Bauers
Waterfowl hunters will now find waterfowl regulations information in the hunting and trapping regulations booklet. The Minnesota DNR merged the waterfowl regulations with the main booklet to provide a single, comprehensive booklet for hunters and trappers.
New electronic licensing system
Changes in how hunters buy licenses, validate harvests and register harvests will be in place for all hunters in all seasons with the new electronic licensing system that the Minnesota DNR launched in June.
There are three ways to buy a license (mobile app, online, or in person from a license agent) and three ways to carry it (paper, PDF, or stored in the app). Customers can access the new system on the Minnesota DNR website or by searching “Minnesota DNR Licensing” in the Apple or Google app stores.
Buying a license
Hunters who wish to buy licenses online or via the new mobile app will need to create their online account before buying a license. Anyone who has purchased a license online, by phone or in person in the past will need their nine-digit MNDNR number (visible on their latest license) when creating their account in the new system. A how-to video on signing in to the electronic licensing system is available on YouTube.
As a first step for hunters, we recommend you purchase your license early this year. Sign in and create an online account, get acquainted with the system, and give yourself a bit of extra time this year to purchase that license.
Validating and registering harvests
When you purchase your license you will be able to choose if you want to validate a future harvest using a paper tag and then registering in person at an agent, or validating and registering online or using the mobile app. Simply put, how you purchase a license will change how you validate and register a harvest. Also be aware that there is no longer an option to register a harvest via a phone call.
Please consider getting acquainted with the process before you choose how you will buy your hunting license. The process on how to validate and register a harvest is detailed on pages 28-29 in the regulations booklet.
Bear hunters: Buy license, check regulations
Bear hunters who entered the lottery for bear hunting licenses can check the DNR’s website to see if they were selected. The DNR sent postcards to lottery winners during the first week of June.
The deadline to purchase a lottery bear license is Saturday, Aug. 1. Unsold lottery-awarded licenses will be available to any eligible person on Wednesday, Aug. 5, beginning at noon.
Hunters who wish to buy licenses online or via the new mobile app will need to create their online account before buying a license. Anyone who has purchased a license in the past will need their nine-digit MNDNR number (visible on their latest license) ready to input when creating their account in the new system. A how-to video on signing in to the electronic licensing system is available on YouTube.
Important note about purchasing a surplus license
Bear surplus licenses will go on sale promptly at noon on Aug. 5. We anticipate high demand for these licenses, as in previous years.
If you want to purchase an unsold/surplus license, please create an online account well in advance, as licenses sell out quickly.
A waiting room system will be used to ensure a fair process. You may log in to your account and join the waiting room beginning at 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 5. Once you are admitted into the surplus sale, you will have 20 minutes to complete checkout. The Minnesota DNR expects that with this new process, it may take 30 minutes or longer for all available licenses to be sold out. Customers remaining in the waiting room for their turn to enter the sale will be notified when licenses are sold out.
Tracking other wildlife news
“Our English Setter, Olive, on a beautiful fall day of grouse hunting” courtesy of Dave Jungst
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