Comments On Temporary Hunting Rules

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DNR seeks comments on temporary hunting rules

Minnesotans have until June 26 to submit written comments or requests for public hearings on a number of temporary regulations that are proposed to become permanent.

The proposals relate to a variety of areas pertaining to individual wildlife management areas and game refuges, deer hunting regulations, bear hunting regulations, upland game birds, migratory game birds, prairie chickens, and waterfowl.

“Nearly all of the rule changes included in this package are in effect as temporary rules and received support previously in past public input meetings,” said Jason Abraham, season setting specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “This final comment opportunity is part of a required public process before we can make these rules permanent.”

The only new rule included in this package would prohibit the use of bait for turkey hunting. A copy of the proposed rules and additional information about the rules process will be available online at after May 26.

Comments may be submitted to: Jason Abraham, Box 20, DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4020 or by e-mail at Jason.Abraham@dnr.state.mn.us.

Input also will be accepted via the DNR’s Web site.

Provisions, currently in effect through temporary rules that would become permanent include:

Special provisions for some Wildlife Management Areas, State Game and Waterfowl Refuges, waterfowl Controlled Hunting Zones, and migratory feeding and resting areas;
Definitions for terms used in special deer hunts;
Rules pertaining to national wildlife refuges and federal waterfowl production areas;
Deer zone and date options, deer tagging procedure and deer license validation procedures;
Bag limits for deer in intensive, managed, lottery, early season deer areas, and metro and bovine tuberculosis deer management zones;
Seasons for taking deer by firearms in the metro deer management zone;
Muzzleloader deer seasons and areas;
Bag limit for bears outside quota areas;
License procedures for taking bear outside quota areas;
Seasons for taking ruffed and spruce grouse, pheasants and gray partridge;
Seasons for taking sora and Virginia rails and common snipe;
Provisions for the harvest of prairie chickens;
Youth waterfowl hunting date; and
Season and bag limit for taking geese in the northwest goose zone.