Minnesota Hunting License 2026: Cost, Deer & CWD Rules

Minnesota's license year runs March 1 through the last day of February. The Resident Small Game license ($22) functions as the base hunting credential required for all hunting. Deer licenses — firearm ($34) or archery ($34) — are purchased in addition to the Small Game base. Non-residents pay $102 for the Small Game base and $185 for a deer license. Youth ages 10–12 hunt deer for free; ages 13–17 pay just $5 for a deer license. A $1 issuing fee applies per license plus a 3% online convenience fee; these fees are scheduled to increase in July 2026.

Minnesota's moose ($310) and elk ($288) licenses are available to residents only through lottery draws. The elk lottery is especially limited — only 4 permits were issued in the 2025 season due to the state's small and geographically isolated elk herd in the northwest. Moose permits allow a party of up to 4 hunters per permit. Both species are once-in-a-lifetime draws. Non-residents have no path to hunting moose or elk in Minnesota. Turkey ($26 res / $96 NR, includes Wild Turkey Stamp) and bear ($44 res / $225 NR) both require lottery draws with separate application windows.

The statewide shotgun zone — a geographic restriction requiring shotguns for deer hunting in southern Minnesota — was repealed effective January 1, 2026. This ended a rule that had been in place for decades in the high-density human-population areas of southern Minnesota. Rifles are now generally legal statewide for deer, though individual counties within the former zone may enact their own post-hearing restrictions. Hunters in southern Minnesota should verify county-level rules for the current season before selecting ammunition and firearms.

Minnesota's deer archery season runs September 13 through December 31 — over 3.5 months, making it one of the longest in the Midwest. Crossbows are legal for all archers without a disability requirement through at least June 2026. The firearms deer season opens November 8. Season A (100-series zones, northern Minnesota) runs November 8–23 for 16 days. Seasons in central and southern zones (200/300 series) typically run 9 days. A second firearms opportunity (Season B) in the 300-series southern zones runs November 22–30. A muzzleloader season follows statewide November 29–December 14.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) management in Minnesota involves some of the most complex additional season structures in the US. CWD management zones have a Late CWD Management Season (December 19–21) with a bag limit of up to 5 deer and mandatory testing — designed to maximize harvest pressure in CWD-positive areas. Mandatory sampling requirements during the regular firearms opener apply in some zones. Carcass transport restrictions prohibit moving whole carcasses out of CWD zones. An attractant and feeding ban is enforced in CWD zones. Hunters should check the MN DNR's CWD zone maps and updates at dnr.state.mn.us before any deer hunt.

Antlerless deer management in Minnesota uses a deer permit area lottery system. Additional antlerless tags ($18 resident / $91 NR) are allocated by permit area based on population objectives. In surplus permit areas, unlimited antlerless tags may be available without a draw. Resident landowners in qualifying deer permit areas may receive free antlerless tags as an incentive for wildlife-friendly land management. A Late Antlerless season (January 4–17) provides additional antlerless harvest opportunity in designated permit areas — particularly useful for hunters who want to maximize freezer contribution.

Minnesota's ruffed grouse hunting is concentrated in northern and north-central forest habitat, especially areas with younger aspen growth. The ruffed grouse season opens September 13 and runs through January 1. Daily bag limit is 5. No stamp is required beyond the base Small Game license. The state publishes annual grouse population indices based on drumming count surveys, and hunters should use the current report rather than assume the same counties will be strongest every year.

Southwestern Minnesota is home to ring-necked pheasant populations in agricultural counties, but annual opportunity depends heavily on winter severity, nesting cover, and enrolled access lands. The Pheasant Stamp ($7.50) is required for pheasant hunting. Daily bag limit is 2 roosters. The season runs October 11 through January 1. Public Walk-In Access lands provide public pheasant hunting on enrolled private land, and MNDNR and Pheasants Forever publish fall forecasts that are better planning tools than fixed county rankings.

Minnesota's location on the Mississippi Flyway gives hunters meaningful waterfowl opportunity, but migration timing and species availability vary by year and zone. The Waterfowl Stamp ($7.50 state) plus Federal Duck Stamp ($25) and HIP certification (free) are required. The regular duck season typically opens in late September and runs into November. Daily duck bag limit is 6 with species-specific limits, so hunters should confirm the current annual framework before planning around a particular lake, bay, or migration week.