Hunts in Minnesota state parks

Know before you go, and see which parks have special hunts this season.

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:

  1. Wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing, even if you will not be hunting.
  2. Check with the park office when you arrive, to see if there is any additional hunt-related information.
  3. 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.

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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

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