Apply through Aug. 18 for special youth deer hunts
Hunters can apply for special youth deer hunt permits through Friday, Aug. 18. The number of permits for each hunt is limited. Individual hunts will be held in several state parks, and in the Rydell National Wildlife Refuge, on various dates in the fall. Adults must accompany youth during these hunts. These firearms hunts are for youth ages 12-15 at the time of the hunt.
Youth archery hunters in Sand Prairie Wildlife Management Area in Sherburne County can be ages 10-17.
Special youth deer hunts are different from the statewide youth deer season, which takes place Oct. 19-22 and does not require an application. More information is available on the DNR website.
In most instances, hunters may only possess and use nontoxic ammunition when participating in a special hunt in a Minnesota state park; however, nontoxic ammunition requirements do not apply to youth special hunts in the shotgun-use area if hunters remove all parts of harvested deer, including the entrails.
Nontoxic ammunition includes steel, copper-plated, nickel-plated, zinc-plated and other projectiles made from a nontoxic material approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A full list is available in the Code of Federal Regulations and can be found by typing “hunting methods” in the search box and clicking “What hunting methods are illegal?”
Applications open for prairie chicken hunt lottery
Hunters can apply through Friday, Aug. 18, to be chosen for one of 125 permits for the 2023 Minnesota prairie chicken hunting season. The nine-day prairie chicken season begins Saturday, Sept. 23, and is open to Minnesota residents only. The hunt takes place in northwestern Minnesota from St. Hilaire south to Breckenridge. Hunters can find details about the season on the DNR website.
Minnesota Twins offer free hats
Anyone with a 2023 Minnesota fishing or hunting license can receive a free special edition orange Minnesota Twins logo cap and a ticket discount from the Minnesota Twins, through a partnership between the Twins and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Upcoming DNR Days at Twins games this season are:
- Sunday, July 23 vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 19 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:10 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 9 vs. New York Mets, 1:10 p.m.
Promotion details, instructions for purchasing tickets, and information on buying a fishing or hunting license, are available on the Minnesota DNR Days webpage. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time using a special DNR link to receive this offer.
DNR webinars cover falconry, frogs and toads
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the summer program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.
In a webinar on Wednesday, July 19, Matt Lasch will discuss falconry and how to hunt with these amazing birds. The presentation will include a brief history of falconry, steps to becoming a falconer, birds typically used in falconry, and the training and hunting process. Lasch will also briefly cover how falconers have been critical in several conservation and restoration efforts.
In a webinar on Wednesday, July 26, Mags Edwards, DNR frog and toad research program coordinator, will discuss why frogs and toads are unlikely ambassadors for environmental conservation. Edwards will also share tips to identify different frog and toad species, and how people can go “herping” with a purpose to help the DNR collect information about frogs and toads in Minnesota.
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 DNR website for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.