Minnesota DNR reminds deer hunters of changes in the northeast

St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR is reminding hunters of a variety of deer hunting-related changes in effect for the upcoming seasons in northeast Minnesota.

City of Grand Rapids hunt

The annual city of Grand Rapids special deer hunt began with the start of the archery season (Sept. 14) and continues through rifle and muzzleloader seasons, and ends Tuesday, Dec. 31. All deer one year or older harvested during the city deer hunt are required to be sampled for chronic wasting disease.

Hunters have several options to fulfill the sampling requirements, including the partner sampling program through participating taxidermists, selfservice sampling stations, mail-in sampling kits, or by appointment at the DNR’s Grand Rapids area wildlife office.

To date, four cases of CWD have been found in adult deer within and adjacent to the city limits of Grand Rapids.

Disease-management and bonus permits are available for use in conjunction with the city hunt and will allow hunters to harvest up to five deer within city limits.

The city of Grand Rapids’ special hunt is administered by the Grand Rapids Police Department in partnership with the DNR to reduce urban deer populations, the number of vehicle accidents, and damage to vegetation caused by high numbers of deer, as well as to help to slow the spread of CWD.

More information about the city deer hunt and allowed hunting zones can be found on the Grand Rapids Police Department’s web page.

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Remainder of DPA 679 around Grand Rapids

The allowable harvest per hunter for DPA 679 was reduced last year to one deer, either sex (hunter’s choice permit area). Disease-management or bonus tags may not be used in DPA 679 outside of special hunts.

Mandatory sampling for all deer one year or older will continue this year during the opening weekend of firearms A season (Nov. 9-10), and carcass-movement restrictions remain in place.

Other special hunts

The cities of Baxter, Two Harbors, and Duluth will hold special city hunts, as will Schoolcraft and St. Croix state parks and several state parks along the North Shore.

Interested hunters can find information about dates, hunt types, bag limits, and additional information beginning on page 92 of the printed or online version of the 2024-25 hunting and trapping regulations.

New CWD sampling requirements near Carlton

To help inform consideration of a proposed elk-restoration project, new mandatory CWD surveillance sampling will be implemented on opening weekend of the firearms A season (Nov. 9-10) in DPAs 156, 173, 181, and 199 in the Carlton area.

Elk in the northwest have been extensively tested during hunting seasons, and deer in the area were tested during the past hunting season, with no animals testing positive for CWD.

In DPA 604 around the Brainerd area, mandatory CWD sampling continues this year during the opening weekend of the firearms A season (Nov. 9-10), and carcass-movement restrictions remain in place. While CWD infection numbers remain low in DPA 604, the infection was most recently detected in 2023, prompting an additional three-year cycle of sampling.

Feeding and attractant ban expanded to Aitkin County

The outward movement of CWD from the Grand Rapids city limits has prompted the expansion of the deer feeding and attractant ban to include Aitkin County. Feeding deer for the purpose of baiting during the hunting season is not legal anywhere in Minnesota.

Recreational feeding of deer is banned in 24 counties including Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca, and Hubbard counties in north-central Minnesota.