Walk-In Access lands open starting Sept. 1
Beginning Thursday, Sept. 1, hunters can access nearly 29,000 acres of private land across 39 counties in western and south-central Minnesota through the Walk-In Access program, which pays landowners to allow public hunting on their property.
Hunters with a $3 Walk-In Access validation can access these lands from a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset during open hunting seasons between Sept. 1 and May 31. No additional landowner contact is necessary. All Walk-In Access sites are shown in the DNR Recreation Compass. Digital maps for individual Walk-In Access sites, along more information for hunters, can be found on the DNR website.
The Walk-In Access program began in 2011 and funding sources include a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a surcharge on nonresident hunting licenses, a one-time appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature in 2012, and donations from hunters.
Reminder: Deer lottery application deadline Sept. 8
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds firearm and muzzleloader hunters who want to harvest antlerless deer in a deer permit area designated as antlerless permit lottery this hunting season to purchase their license by Thursday, Sept. 8. Hunters who purchase their license on or before this date are automatically entered into the lottery for the deer permit area or special hunt area they declare.
Successful applicants will receive a postcard in the mail authorizing them to take an antlerless deer using their regular license in that antlerless permit lottery area. No application is needed to take antlerless deer in permit areas with either sex, two-deer limit, three-deer limit or five-deer limit designations.
Hunters who want to participate in special firearm or muzzleloader deer hunts also need to apply for permits that are issued through a lottery. That application deadline is also Sept. 8.
More information about designations and regulations for deer permit areas, as well as details about special hunt opportunities, are available on the DNR website and in the 2022 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook, which is available in print wherever DNR licenses are sold.
DNR webinars cover early goose hunting, tips on hunting ammo
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites Minnesotans interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to tune in to upcoming webinars that will discuss opportunities to hunt geese in Minnesota before the regular waterfowl season opens, as well as tips on hunting ammunition.
The first webinar is at noon Wednesday, Aug. 24. Nick Trauba, DNR assistant area wildlife manager, will discuss early season hunting opportunities for geese and provide tips on where and how to bag a goose this time of the year. Minnesota’s early goose season is Saturday, Sept. 3, through Sunday, Sept. 18, and there are also special hunting seasons established by the DNR that target high populations of geese in specific areas. Some of these special opportunities happen during the early goose season.
The second webinar is at noon Wednesday, Aug. 31. Kraig Kiger, DNR shooting sports coordinator, and James Burnham, DNR R3 coordinator, will lead a talk on hunting ammunition. The webinar will include two guests from Federal Ammunition: Jon Zinnel, senior manager of conservation and youth education programs, and Eric Miller, production manager of rifle ammunition and components. The group will discuss bullets, options for different game, development of products, and other tips to consider when purchasing ammo.
The webinars are part of the DNR’s Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series, which aims to give participants quick, relevant information on upcoming seasons and events, as well as skills to enjoy these opportunities. The webinars are free but registration is required. More information, including registration information for webinars and recordings of past webinars, is available on the outdoor skills and stewardship page of the DNR website.