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DULUTH — There’s one surefire way to avoid getting pinched by a Minnesota conservation officer during the deer hunting season that starts Saturday: Don’t do anything illegal.

It doesn't seem that hard to follow the rules, yet dozens of tickets are handed out statewide for the same violations every year: hunting over bait, road hunting with a loaded/uncased gun in the vehicle, or not tagging the deer when you get it into camp. You could lose your gun, some money and even your right to hunt for a few years depending on the violation.

Notable in 2022 were the increased violations for hunters using deer scents in chronic wasting disease-restricted zones where deer scents like doe urine, as well as other attractants, are illegal. That rule now applies to areas around Grand Rapids , Brainerd and Bemidji .

There are more than 400,000 hunters expected to be out for the firearms deer season that starts Saturday, but only about 150 conservation officers across Minnesota will be on duty. So you might get away with something. But don't count on it.

John Myers / Duluth Media Group

Source: Minnesota DNR’s Enforcement Division

1. Transport uncased/loaded firearm in vehicle.
2. Failure to validate license tag.
3. Hunting over bait.
4. Hunting without purchasing a license.
5. Failure to register deer.
6. No license in possession while hunting.
7. Untagged deer in possession.
8. Hunting without proper blaze orange/pink clothing.
9. Lending, borrowing, transferring license.
10. Using attractants (doe scent, etc.) in a CWD zone.