DULUTH 鈥� Minnesota deer hunters will have pretty much the same parameters for the 2024 hunting season as last year across the state, except in parts of northern and western Minnesota, where the opportunity to bag an antlerless deer has been reduced again this year.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has unveiled the season designations for 120 deer permit areas across the state. Of those, 90 will have the same number of doe permits as 2023, 30 will have fewer doe permits and two 鈥� areas 169 and 176 鈥� will lose all doe permits and be bucks-only for the November firearms deer hunting season.
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Areas 169 and 176 cover central Itasca and central St. Louis counties. They only had a few antlerless or doe permits available last year, but, as across most of the state, DNR wildlife managers are playing it safe even after the mildest winter on record across much of the state.
While deer across most of Minnesota likely survived the recent winter in great shape and likely produced more fawns, much of Northeastern Minnesota鈥榮 deer population is still down after a string of deep-snow winters. Combined with steady pressure from predators like wolves, black bears and bobcats, the harsh winters have held deer numbers down for more than a decade, killing some deer outright and reducing how many new fawns are born each spring.
Short of closing the seasons entirely, the DNR鈥檚 biggest management tool to impact deer populations is controlling how many antlerless deer are shot each season.
鈥淚t was a pretty consistent message from our area wildlife managers across the state, but especially up north, to hold steady and be pretty conservative in our antlerless allocations," said Todd Froberg, big-game program coordinator for the Minnesota DNR. "Let鈥檚 use this year to rebuild where needed. Yes, we had the mildest winter in decades. But we鈥檙e going to need a few more of those before we see the northern deer herd bounce back to where it has been before.鈥�
Meanwhile, deer permit areas 235 and 251 were hunter鈥檚 choice last year and are now limited to antlerless permits by lottery, a change for hunters in those areas who now must buy their license by Sept. 5 to be included in the lottery.
Mandatory CWD testing near Duluth
The DNR this year will require mandatory testing of all deer shot opening weekend in all of the 600-numbered CWD zones as well as in deer permit areas 156, 173, 181 and 199 west of Duluth 鈥� the area in and around the proposed elk release site for the
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DNR staff will be on hand at wildlife offices in those areas Saturday, Sunday and Monday of opening weekend, when by far the most deer are shot each season.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get a better sense whether there's any CWD in that area where elk would be released before anything happens,鈥� said Froberg, who noted deer were tested last year in northwestern Minnesota, near where elk would be captured for the Fond du Lac project. No Minnesota elk have tested positive for CWD to date.
Mandatory CWD testing will also be required opening weekend this year in Area 197 near Grand Rapids to check for any spread from deer within the city where deer have tested positive for CWD in recent years.
Hunters in other areas who want to have their deer tested for CWD have multiple options, including free mail-in test kits. For more information, go to
New CWD regs for deer heads heading to taxidermists
The DNR has relaxed regulations regarding the transport of deer carcasses into the state in some cases, rules that are meant to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease. Hunters can bring a deer head, with or without the cape and the neck, to a licensed taxidermist within 48 hours of being shot. The change was discussed for the past few years with the Minnesota Taxidermy Guild and passed the 2024 Minnesota Legislature.
Within the state, for deer shot in CWD management zones, hunters may also take the head, with or without the hide or neck, to a taxidermist outside of the CWD zone within 48 hours after the harvest, which was previously banned.
The state is allowing the carcass regulation changes after imposing new regulations on taxidermists on how and where they can dispose of deer carcasses, now requiring that they end up in a lined landfill.
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Shotgun zone remains
State lawmakers again considered, but did not take action, on bills to eliminate the shotgun zone 鈥� no rifles allowed 鈥� for firearm deer seasons.
Key dates for Minnesota deer hunters
- Sept. 5 鈥� Deadline to apply for antlerless deer permits and special hunts (where available).
- Sept. 14-Dec. 31 鈥� Archery and crossbow deer seasons.
- Oct. 17-Oct. 20 鈥� Minnesota school break.
- Oct. 17-20 鈥� Youth-only firearms deer season, ages 10-17, statewide.
- Nov. 9-24 - Firearms deer season, 100-numbered areas.
- Nov. 9-17 鈥� Firearms deer season, 200- and 300-numbered areas.
- Nov. 23-Dec. 1 鈥� Firearms deer season, 300-numbered permit areas, second season.
- Nov. 30-Dec. 15 鈥� Muzzleloader deer season, statewide.
For more information, check a hunting and trapping regulations booklet available free wherever licenses are sold or go to and click on the species you are interested in.
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