Minnesota fish and wildlife

Anglers are invited to weigh in on proposed special fishing regulations that, if adopted, would become effective next year.

Most of the proposed changes are aimed at protecting and improving bluegill sizes by lowering bag limits on lakes in 26 counties. You have a variety of input opportunities including virtual town halls, contacting an area fisheries office directly, attending an in-person meeting and commenting online. Read on for more about how to participate.

You can share your thoughts online as the DNR updates the state's wolf management plan.

The DNR is updating the state's 20-year-old wolf management plan. You can share your thoughts by commenting online now through Sunday, Nov. 1. Once a draft plan is ready, anticipated later this year, people will be able to comment on the draft plan itself.

Anyone can learn more about wolves in Minnesota during International Wolf Center webinars.

Each webinar starts at 5 p.m. and registration is required. One has happened already and the remaining are:

What does it look like to live with wolves in Minnesota? John Hart, district supervisor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services program, will discuss just that Monday, Oct. 19. He’ll also cover wolf depredation in Minnesota and topics such as the frequency of wolf depredation and the number of livestock producers who are affected every year in the state.

How do wolf, moose and deer interact in Minnesota? Glenn DelGiudice, a DNR research scientist, will discuss how wolves, moose and deer coexist in Minnesota Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Find registration information on the DNR's wolf plan page.

Pheasant hunters are getting moving out into the fields, and the DNR's annual roadside pheasant survey showed an increase this year.

The annual pheasant survey showed a 42 percent increase in the state pheasant index this year relative to 2019. The 2020 roadside survey is 37 percent above the 10-year average.

Hunters, remember to check regulations before heading out into the field. Hunters ages 16-64 must purchase a small game license and pheasant stamp to hunt pheasants in Minnesota, and all pheasant hunters must wear at least one visible article of clothing above the waist that is blaze orange or pink.

Bag and possession limits, pheasant transportation requirements, a hunting prospects map and more information are available on the DNR website.

nyone who wants to learn how to hunt deer can register and participate in a series of online classes that continues through mid-October.

These DNR classes will cover a variety of topics including deer ecology and habitat use, scouting, identifying public lands, finding hunting land, picking a spot to hunt, what to do after the shot and how to care for meat from a harvest.

Participants can tune in to any or all of the classes at no cost. Registration and post-event surveys are required. All classes will be archived. Details and class dates are available on the DNR learn to deer hunt page.

An online questionnaire will make it easier for Minnesota deer hunters to report wildlife they see during their hunts this year.

Using a mobile device or desktop computer, hunters can enter information on the DNR website about wildlife they see each day of hunting, including deer, turkeys, bears, fishers and other species. They’ll also be able to report specific information about any deer they harvest, including antler size.

Hunters are encouraged to fill out a report after each hunt even if they don’t see any deer that day. The questionnaire will be available when archery deer season begins Saturday, Sept. 19, and remain open through the end of the year.

Data from the observation survey will provide a helpful comparison to the DNR’s population estimates for various species.

Recreational netting for cisco, also referred to as tullibee, and whitefish is open this fall on designated lakes.

Whitefish and cisco sport netting is open to Minnesota residents only. About 700 Minnesotans participate each year. Netting schedules are based on expected water temperatures. As the water temperature cools, game fish head to deeper water while cisco and whitefish come to shallow water for fall spawning.

The DNR allows netting when there is little chance that fish other than cisco and whitefish will be caught. Game fish incidentally taken in nets must be returned to the water immediately. Complete regulations, including designated lakes, netting schedules and requirements related to use of gear and invasive species, are available on the DNR website.

The DNR maintains hunter walking trails as easy ways to travel by foot and hunt.

Hunter Walking Trails wind through wildlife management areas, state and federal forests, and other public hunting lands. Some trails may be unmowed this year; however, they still remain open for use and wind through prime habitat for ruffed grouse, American woodcock, wild turkey and white-tailed deer.

There are more than 600 miles of hunter walking trails meandering throughout the northern half of the state. Many of the trails are gated, allowing foot traffic only, and offer easy access to parking lots.

The DNR offers a hunter walking trail tool that provides information on trail locations by name and county. Hunters can also call area wildlife offices for information about the trails or hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities and tips.

The DNR will test liver and muscle samples from deer for PFAS.

The DNR will test liver and muscle samples from deer to help determine whether industrial chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are present in deer near two PFAS contaminated sites.

The DNR initiated sampling near the Duluth airport south of Wild Rice Lake when the archery season opened on Sept. 19, and is also making arrangements for samples to be collected in portions of the east metro area of the Twin Cities.

This will be the first time the Minnesota DNR has sampled deer for PFAS. Recent findings reported by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources led to a deer liver consumption advisory for deer harvested near a known PFAS site in Marinette County, due to high levels of the contaminants in some of the liver tissue collected. Read more in the DNR news release.

The annual survey estimates hunter numbers and harvest for two dozen species.

The small game hunter mail survey by the DNR estimated that slightly fewer small game licenses were sold in 2019 than the previous year, continuing a downward trend in overall license sales for the past 20 years. The survey covers estimated harvest and number of hunters for two dozen species. The complete small game hunter survey report is on the DNR website.

The DNR has expanded the early antlerless deer season, Oct. 15-18, to include more deer permit areas.

This season is in central and southeastern Minnesota. The season increases opportunities for hunters in areas where deer populations are above population goals, or where there is an increased risk of chronic wasting disease spreading. Permit areas open during the hunt are 213, 214, 215, 341, 342, 343, 344, 604, 605, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649 and 655.

Hunters in CWD management and control zones need to follow these restrictions.

Mandatory carcass movement restrictions are in effect for all CWD management and control zones, in southeastern Minnesota and the south-metro area.

Whole carcasses cannot leave these zones until a “not detected” test result is received. If hunters do not submit their deer for sampling, they must debone and quarter their deer, in order to transport their harvest. No carcass movement restrictions are in place in CWD surveillance areas, where the disease has not been discovered in wild deer.

The popular youth deer hunting season is again statewide.

The statewide season is Oct. 15-18. During last year’s inaugural statewide youth season, nearly 5,700 young deer hunters harvested a deer, which represented a 77 percent increase from the previous season when it was limited to fewer areas.

Voluntary CWD sampling and self-service stations among changes this year.

In the ongoing strategy to manage chronic wasting disease in Minnesota’s wild deer, we’ve made several changes to this year’s deer hunting regulations.

CWD sampling is voluntary for 2020, with hunters submitting samples from their deer at unstaffed sampling stations that facilitate social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be dumpsters available so hunters can properly dispose of carcass parts inside CWD management and control zones.

Several deer permit area boundaries in north-central and northwestern Minnesota have changed.

These permit areas changed due to input from the public and DNR staff during the deer population goal-setting process, or in response to CWD spread. Hunters should double check the boundaries of any permit areas where they plan to hunt.

Hunters, you're all set to plan ahead for the fall!

The DNR has released the 2020 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping regulations handbook, now available on the DNR website.

Deer hunters this season will generally see more harvest opportunities. Deer hunting regulations and permit area maps are on the DNR deer hunting page.

Hunting licenses go on sale Saturday, Aug. 1. You can buy your license at any DNR license agent, by telephone at 888-665-4236, or online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense.