Hunters will find major updates to electronic licensing, deer seasons and waterfowl regulations
Hunters can now review a variety of significant updates made in the 2026 Minnesota hunting and trapping regulations. Hunting and trapping licenses will be available to purchase starting Saturday, Aug. 1.
“We’re excited about fall being around the corner and we are asking hunters to carefully check the updated regulations as they prepare for upcoming seasons,” said David Trauba, wildlife section manager with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “What’s new this year will affect every hunter, and deer hunters in particular need to pay close attention because there are many significant changes applicable to them.”
Some key 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 evolving CWD management needs, 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 management and efficient use of resources,” said Patrick Hagen, DNR wildlife disease response coordinator. “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.”
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 scheduling 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
This year hunters will be allowed to move carcasses from all deer harvested within a CWD management zone outside the zone under the condition that they must dispose of carcasses with their 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. In the past, hunters had to quarter their deer to take meat out of the zone or wait for a not-detected test result to take the whole deer out. However, the requirement to quarter the deer remains in effect for deer harvested outside Minnesota that hunters want to import into the state.
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.
“We do want people to be aware that we are not offering DNR-provided dumpsters this year for butchering remains,” Hagen said. “Coupled with the change, the new carcass disposal rule will give hunters more flexibility in handling and transporting their deer while promoting safe disposal methods.”
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.
Details about county ordinances are listed in the respective counties’ websites with links available on the Minnesota DNR deer hunting webpage under the “news and notices” section.
Waterfowl regulations information merged
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, and validate 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.
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 they purchase their license early this year,” Trauba said. “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.”
How hunters purchase a license — whether online, via the app or in-person at a license agent — will change how they will validate and register a harvest. The process on how to validate and register a harvest is detailed on pages 28-29 in the regulations booklet.
Hunters can find the Minnesota hunting regulations booklet on the Minnesota DNR hunting webpage. Print copies will be available wherever DNR licenses are sold. Hunters are advised to check the nearest license agent if they are choosing to register a harvest in person, so they know where to go. Regulations translated into Hmong, Karen, Somali and Spanish will be available on the DNR website in mid-September.