Major Minnesota Deer Hunting Changes For 2026
Minnesota's deer hunting season officially kicks off September 19th, with the opening of bow season, but hunters heading out this fall should be aware of some big changes to the state's deer hunting guidelines.
Whether you're grabbing your bow next week or preparing for firearm season this November, here are the new guidelines you need to know.
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- Elimination of the Shotgun Zone: The state's mandatory shotgun-only zone has been repealed, though 13 counties have enacted local ordinances to remain shotgun-only for 2026 (Brown, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Houston, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Nobles, Pope, Rock, Watonwan, and parts of Clay and Wilkin). Rifles are legal in all other counties during firearms season.
- Modernized Electronic Licensing System (ELS): A new digital system changes how licenses are bought and managed. Physical carcass tagging is replaced by site validation (done immediately at the kill site via mobile app, PDF, or ELS system). For all the details, check out the MN-DNR Website.
- CWD Surveillance Rotation: Minnesota started a four-year statewide rotational plan for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Mandatory testing during the opening weekend now applies only to designated surveillance blocks (this year focusing on southwest and west-central regions) rather than all management zones.
- Carcass & Disposal Rules: Carcass movement restrictions are lifted for CWD management zones, but new disposal rules apply and the DNR no longer supplies dumpsters.
For a full list of changes, along with an interactive map (with county-by-county breakdown of permit changes), visit the Minnesota DNR Website.
All 37 Minnesota Restaurants that Have Been Featured on the Food Network
Many Minnesota restaurants have been featured on the Food Network over the years. Some have closed now, but I checked out the Food Networks website, the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives website, and TVFoodMaps.com to find all of the Minnesota restaurants that have been featured on their channel in the past and found these 37 (in no particular order) that are still open.
Gallery Credit: Carly Ross
