Minnesota · Deer · 2026 Edition
Minnesota Deer Season 2026: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by method
| Method | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Statewide | Sep 19 – Dec 31 |
| Youth | Statewide | Oct 15 – Oct 18 |
| Early antlerless | Statewide | Oct 15 – Oct 18 |
| Firearms (100 series) | 100 series + 604/679/684 | Nov 7 – Nov 22 |
| Firearms (200 series) | 200 series + areas 338, 341, 605, 642-649, 655, 661, 666, 671, 685 | Nov 7 – Nov 15 |
| Firearms (metro 601) | Metro zone 601 | Nov 7 – Nov 29 |
| Late southeast firearms | 338/341/605/642–649 | Nov 21 – Nov 29 |
| Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28 – Dec 13 |
| Late CWD season | CWD areas | Dec 18 – Dec 20 |
02 — Bag limits
| Statewide | Set by permit-area designation (lottery / hunter choice / managed) — see MN DNR |
|---|
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 19, 2026) 06:31 — 19:49
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset — the 2026-27 regulations booklet states this for big game as a whole, so it covers archery, firearms and muzzleloader deer alike. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Minnesota sun times for any other date.
04 — License
A Minnesota hunting license and deer permit are required. Costs, age rules and where to buy are on our license page below.
Minnesota hunting license cost & deer permits →
Where to hunt public land in Minnesota — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a property before Minnesota's opener usually means glassing terrain and running a trail camera through the summer and early fall.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does deer season start in Minnesota?
The earliest 2026 opener is September 19, 2026 — Archery, statewide. Other weapons and zones start later — see the table above.
When does deer season end in Minnesota?
The latest 2026 closing date is December 31, 2026. Individual methods and zones close on their own dates.
When does bow season start for deer in Minnesota?
Archery opens September 19, 2026 (Statewide). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does rifle season start for deer in Minnesota?
Firearms (100 series) opens November 7, 2026 (100 series + 604/679/684). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does muzzleloader season start for deer in Minnesota?
Muzzleloader opens November 28, 2026 (Statewide). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
How many deer can you shoot in Minnesota?
2026 bag limits: Statewide — Set by permit-area designation (lottery / hunter choice / managed) — see MN DNR. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting deer in Minnesota?
On opening day (September 19, 2026) legal light runs 06:31 to 19:49. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset — the 2026-27 regulations booklet states this for big game as a whole, so it covers archery, firearms and muzzleloader deer alike. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Minnesota sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt deer on my own land in Minnesota without a license?
Minnesota's exemption is narrow: it covers small game only, and only on land that is your actual principal residence — owning land you don't live on doesn't qualify. Deer, bear, and turkey always need a license and tags, even at home.
Verified · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-27
Publisher's note. Re-verified 2026-08-27. dnr.state.mn.us returns 403 to automated fetchers on this project, so the page was read on 2026-08-27 through a text-extraction proxy of the same official URL (r.jina.ai), the same workaround this project uses for Michigan. The DNR's '2026 seasons and hunts' table matches this file row for row: Archery Sept. 19 - Dec. 31; Statewide firearms, 100 series and 604, 679, 684, Nov. 7-22; Statewide firearms, 200 series and 338, 341, 605, 642-649, 655, 661, 666, 671, 685, Nov. 7-15; Late southeast firearms (338, 341, 605, 642-649) Nov. 21-29; Metro deer management zone 601 Nov. 7-29; Muzzleloader Nov. 28 - Dec. 13; Youth statewide Oct. 15-18; Early antlerless Oct. 15-18; Late CWD season Dec. 18-20. Each row on the DNR page links into a specific page of the state hunting regulations PDF, which is the deeper primary source if a single date ever needs settling. One 2026 change matters beyond the dates and is not visible in this file's fields: the statewide shotgun zone has been REPEALED. Minnesota counties may now pass their own ordinances restricting deer hunting to shotguns, and the DNR keeps a separate list of the counties that did. A hunter can no longer infer legal firearm type from the old statewide zone map - it has to be checked county by county. Bag stays 'set by permit-area designation' by design: Minnesota assigns lottery, hunter choice or managed status per deer permit area, so there is no statewide number to carry. CWD rules also shifted - mandatory sampling now applies only in the surveillance block on firearms opening weekend, and carcass movement restrictions were dropped in favour of new disposal rules.