Finding a great public land to hunt can often be a challenge. Luckily, the search is not nearly as difficult as it is in other states for Minnesota hunters. Minnesota boasts well-managed state forests, national forests, state wildlife management areas (WMA), and federal waterfowl production areas (WPAs), all abundant with wildlife.

From waterfowl to big game or small game hunting, Minnesota Northwoods and Chippewa National Forest provide plenty of opportunity to hunt. This area has multiple hunting trails for game birds such as ruffed grouse, ducks, pheasants and turkeys. The open season for game birds mostly begin in mid-September and continues through the end of the year. Whitetail deer open season starts in mid-September for archery and early-November for firearms.

Load up the dogs, your blaze orange and shotgun, and head out for a walk (or ATV ride) through the Minnesota Northwoods. You never know what you’ll scare up in the fall. The trails surrounding our resorts are a hunter’s paradise, thick with ruffed grouse, whitetail deer, waterfowl and more. You just have to know where to look! If you’re lucky, dinner will come to you.

General Hunting Guide for the Minnesota Northwoods Area

Hunting Seasons

Dates Season
09/01/16 - 10/16/16Bear season
09/03/16 - 09/22/16Early Canada Goose season
09/08/16Antlerless Deer and Special Hunt Lottery Deadline
09/10/16Youth Waterfowl Day-Tentative
09/17/16 - 12/31/16Deer Hunt - Archery season
09/17/16 - 01/01/17Ruffed and Spruce Grouse, Hungarian Partridge season
09/17/16 - 11/30/16Sharptailed Grouse season
09/17/16 - 02/28/17Small Game - Rabbits, Squirrels season
09/24/16Waterfowl season opener-Tentative
10/01/16 - 10/30/16Fall Turkey season
10/15/16 - 01/01/17Pheasant season
10/20/16 - 10/23/16Deer Hunt - Special Youth Deer season
10/20/16 - 10/21/16Deer Hunt - Camp Ripley Archery Hunt - 1st season
10/29/16 - 10/30/16Deer Hunt - Camp Ripley Archery Hunt - 2nd season
11/05/16 - 11/20/16Deer Hunt - Firearm season - 1A
11/05/16 - 11/13/16Deer Hunt - Firearm season - 2A and 3A
11/19/16 - 11/27/16Deer Hunt - Firearm season - 3B
11/26/16 - 12/11/16Deer Hunt - Muzzleloader season

Hunter Walking Trails

Minnesota Hunting License Info

In Minnesota, there are a variety of license options for both fishing and hunting. The information below comes from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide an overview of those options.

Hunting licenses are valid from March 1 through February 28 of the following year.
Please see regulations handbook for exact dates/times for specific licenses.