Note: Some parks may have additional hunts, or hold hunts for animals other than deer. To be absolutely certain, please call the park office before you head out!
Many Minnesota state parks hold managed hunts as a way to help control the deer population in the parks. Our goal is to ensure healthy natural communities. When too many deer are in one area, the native plants and animals are negatively affected.
Access to the parks varies around the state during these hunts. Some state parks remain open to all visitors, some have limited public access, and some are open only to hunters with special permits.
This site provides information to non-hunters during the hunt season. If you are a hunter, you'll find more information here.
Safety tips for those who will be visiting a state park during a hunt:
- Wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing, even if you will not be hunting.
- Check with the park office when you arrive, to see if there is any additional hunt-related information.
- Watch carefully for any hunt-related signage in the park, and follow it!
Don't get lost - use a geoPDF map!
Most of the state parks special hunt maps are now readable by the Avenza Maps location app (available on Google Play and the App Store) and are available for use offline. No cell service is needed!
CLOSED
The park is closed to the public and open only to hunters with a valid permit during a particular hunt.
LIMITED
The park is open both to visitors and to hunters OR a portion of the park is open to the public and closed to hunting while another part is open to hunters only.
| State Park | Access | Dates | Type | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afton | CLOSED | 11/04/23 - 11/05/23 | Firearms | |
| Afton | CLOSED | 12/05/23 - 12/07/23 | Muzzleloader | |
| Banning | LIMITED | 10/28/23 - 10/29/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Beaver Creek Valley | LIMITED | 12/02/23 - 12/03/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Blue Mounds | CLOSED | 11/18/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | |
| Buffalo River | LIMITED | 10/28/23 - 10/29/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Camden | CLOSED | 10/28/23 - 10/29/23 | Firearms | |
| Cascade River | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Crow Wing | LIMITED | 12/02/23 - 12/06/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Forestville/Mystery Cave | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/05/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Forestville/Mystery Cave | LIMITED | 12/15/23 - 12/17/23 | Firearms | CWD hunt map |
| Franz Jevne | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Frontenac | CLOSED | 11/18/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | |
| Glacial Lakes | LIMITED | 11/09/23 - 11/12/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Gooseberry Falls | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Great River Bluffs | LIMITED | 11/18/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Great River Bluffs | LIMITED | 12/15/23 - 12/17/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Hayes Lake | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Hayes Lake | LIMITED | 11/25/23 - 12/10/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Itasca | LIMITED | 11/25/23 - 12/10/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Itasca | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/12/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Jay Cooke | LIMITED | 12/02/23 - 12/06/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Judge C.R. Magney | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Kilen Woods | CLOSED | 10/28/23 - 10/29/23 | Firearms | |
| Kilen Woods | LIMITED | 12/24/23 - 12/31/23 | Firearms | park maps |
| Lake Bemidji | LIMITED | 10/20/23 - 10/22/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Lake Bemidji | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/07/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Lake Bemidji | LIMITED | 12/01/23 - 12/03/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Lake Bronson | LIMITED | 10/14/23 - 10/15/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Lake Bronson | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/12/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Lake Carlos | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/07/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Lake Louise | LIMITED | 11/11/23 - 11/12/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Lake Maria | CLOSED | 12/08/23 - 12/10/23 | Muzzleloader | |
| Lake Shetek | CLOSED | 11/18/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | |
| Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine | LIMITED | 11/25/23 - 12/10/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Maplewood | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/07/23 | Firearms | park maps |
| McCarthy Beach | CLOSED | 10/27/23 - 10/28/23 | Firearms | |
| McCarthy Beach | LIMITED | 11/25/23 - 12/10/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Minneopa | LIMITED | 11/18/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Minnesota Valley
(Carver Rapids & Thompson Ferry units) |
LIMITED | 09/16/23 - 12/31/23 | Archery | hunt map |
| Minnesota Valley
(Lawrence Unit) |
CLOSED | 11/11/23 - 11/12/23 | Firearms | |
| Myre-Big Island | LIMITED | 12/02/23 - 12/03/23 | Muzzleloader | hunt map |
| Nerstrand Big Woods | CLOSED | 12/02/23 - 12/03/23 | Muzzleloader | |
| Nerstrand Big Woods | CLOSED | 12/15/23 - 12/17/23 | Firearms | |
| Old Mill | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/07/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Rice Lake | LIMITED | 12/02/23 - 12/03/23 | Muzzleloader | park map |
| St. Croix | CLOSED | 10/28/23 - 10/29/23 | Firearms | |
| St. Croix | CLOSED | 11/16/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | |
| St. Croix | CLOSED | 11/28/23 - 12/03/23 | Muzzleloader | |
| Savanna Portage | CLOSED | 10/28/23 - 10/29/23 | Firearms | |
| Savanna Portage | CLOSED | 11/25/23 - 12/03/23 | Muzzleloader | |
| Scenic | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Schoolcraft | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Schoolcraft | LIMITED | 11/25/23 - 12/10/23 | Muzzleloader | park map |
| Sibley | LIMITED | 10/28/23 - 10/29/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Sibley | CLOSED | 12/02/23 - 12/03/23 | Muzzleloader | |
| Split Rock Lighthouse | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Tettegouche | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Whitewater | CLOSED | 11/18/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | |
| Wild River | CLOSED | 11/04/23 - 11/05/23 | Firearms | |
| William O'Brien | CLOSED | 11/11/23 - 11/12/23 | Firearms | |
| Zippel Bay | LIMITED | 10/20/23 - 10/22/23 | Firearms | hunt map |
| Zippel Bay | LIMITED | 11/04/23 - 11/19/23 | Firearms | hunt map |