The Guide to the Minnesota Hunting Season 2024

Whether you’re local to Minnesota or have the state on your list of places to travel to for a hunt, make sure you know when the season starts for the game you’re after. You’ll also need to know how to get a hunting license and how many grouses, deer, or ducks you can bring home.

In this resource, we’ve gathered the details you need to hunt in Minnesota regardless of what’s on your tag list this season. Along with this information, we recommend downloading the HuntWise app to find the best spots to hunt and plan your days in the field! Here’s what hunters need to know about Minnesota hunting. 
 

Why Do Hunters Hunt in Minnesota?

We highlighted that Minnesota is a premier destination for hunting grouse, but you’ll also find plenty of other upland birds, including doves and pheasants. If you hunt duck or turkey, Minnesota offers plenty of opportunities for those species, too. With plenty of lakes, you’ll surely find enough ducks and geese to hit your bag limit. 

However, if you’re after bigger game, Minnesota is a great place to hunt elk, bear, and deer. 

Where Should I Hunt?

To have an excellent upland game and waterfowl hunting experience, you’ll need to target swamps with lots of brush and the big aspen forests throughout the state. You’ll also find lots of rolling hills and farmland. 

Of course, as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota hunting typically involves bodies of water – especially for duck and goose hunters. 

To learn more about the terrain where your game of choice can be found, use HuntWise. The app can help you find and mark the best hunting areas to max out your bag limit each season. 

Our map layers, satellite imagery, and land boundaries identify different terrains so you can plan accordingly. With these insights, hunters can bring the right gear for a successful hunt. 

When Can I Hunt?

Knowing when and where you can hunt in Minnesota can take some time to dig into research and map out a plan for the year. We’re here to help! We’ve pulled together some of the latest information to help you get out in the field faster (and more often) this season. 

However, be sure to conduct your own research as you plan your hunts, as information can always change. Check with state agencies to confirm the latest information about open season dates, bag limits, and regulations before heading out into the field.   

Grouse

• Ruffed, Spruce, Hungarian and Partridge Grouse (Statewide): September 14 – January 1
• Sharp-tailed Grouse (Northwest Zone): September 14 – November 30

Waterfowl

• Early Teal (Statewide): September 1 – 5
   
• Ducks, Coots, Mergansers:
  • North Zone: September 21 – November 19
  • Central Zone: September 21 – 29 and October 5 – November 24
  • South Zone: September 21 – 29 and October 5 – November 24
• Geese:
  • Early Goose (Statewide): September 1 – 15
  • North Zone: September 21 – December 21
  • Central Zone: September 21 – 29 and October 5 – December 26
  • South Zone: September 21 – 29 and October 5 – December 26

Deer Seasons

• Archery (Statewide): September 14 – December 31
• Firearm (A) - 100 Series: November 9 –24
• Firearm (A) - 200 and 300 Series: November 9 – 17
• Firearm (B) - 300 Series: November 23 – December 1
• Muzzleloader: November 30 – December 15
• Youth (Statewide): October 19 – 22
• Early Antlerless: October 17 – 20

For more information about deer seasons, bag limits, and the lottery for deer hunting, check the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website. 

Turkey Season

The WMA (Wildlife Management Areas) lottery deadline is February 16. A lottery is not conducted for other zones.  
 

• Youth Season: April 17 – May 31
• Archery Season: April 17-May 31
• A: April 17 – 23
• B: April 24 – 30
• C: May 1 – 7
• D: May 8 – 14
• E: May 15 – 21
• F: May 22 – 31

Elk

• Either Sex (Season A): September 21 – 29
• Antlerless (Season B): September 21 – 29
• Either Sex (Season C): September 21 – 29

Apply for the lottery between May 10 – June 15. Check with the Minnesota DNR for more details about seasons, the lottery, and elk hunting licenses. 

Dove and Pheasant

• Dove (Statewide): September 1 – November 29
   
• Pheasant 
  • Statewide: October 14 – January 1
  • Vermillion Highlands: December 11 – January 1

Bear

• Lottery Application Date: May 30
• License Purchase Deadline: August 1
• Baiting Begins: August 16
• Hunting Season: September 1 – October 13

Check the Minnesota DNR website for more specifics about when they announce lottery winners and license information. 

Small Game

• Rabbit: September 14 – February 28
• Sandhill Crane: September 21 – October 19
• Badger: October 19 – March 16
• Bobcat: December 14 – January 19

For more details about other small game species, check the official state website. You can also find more details about species and season dates through eRegulations. 

What Do I Need to Know About Hunting Licenses?

All hunters in Minnesota need a license. Licenses are valid starting March 1 through February 28 of the following year. Hunters can choose from a range of licenses based on resident or non-resident rates. You can buy a license online, by phone, or in person from official locations. 

For many species, youth, disabled hunters, and discharged military veterans do not pay a license fee but must acquire a license to hunt legally. 

What Are the Bag Limits for Minnesota Hunting?

How many ducks, grouse, or bears can you bring home this season? To comply with Minnesota’s hunting regulations, follow the bag limits for everything you plan to hunt. 

What Else Do I Need Before I Can Hunt?

Hunters born after December 31, 1979, need a hunter safety certification or firearms safety certificate before hunting. 

Along with the right safety education, license, and permit, you also need the right gear for a successful hunt! HuntWise subscribers get discounts on gear from our partners. You can save hundreds on gear like hunting knives, binoculars, clothing, calls, scopes, and more from our partners. 

Let HuntWise Help You Enjoy a Successful Minnesota Hunting Season

HuntWise is here to help you reach every bag limit this season! We hope the information in this guide is helpful as you plan your hunts for ducks, geese, elk, or deer this year. 

Don’t forget the best tool you can take with you into the field! Make sure you also download the HuntWise app for immediate access to current information on hunting in Minnesota, including season dates, regulations, landowner boundaries, map layers, satellite imagery, real-time animal behavior predictors, wind and weather forecasting, and more. 

Before you hit the field, you can target the best hunt areas and conditions to tag out for everything you plan to hunt this year.

Start your free trial soon, and you’ll be ready to get out ahead of other hunters on opening day. 

Updated August 23, 2024.