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Aug. 25, 2020
Stay informed! Here’s a weekly summary of upcoming wildlife and habitat management activities and ways you can discover, explore and experience Minnesota’s outdoors.
CWD sampling changes in 2020
In the ongoing strategy to manage chronic wasting disease in Minnesota’s wild deer, we’ve made several changes to this year’s deer hunting regulations. CWD sampling is voluntary for 2020, so that hunters can submit samples from their deer at unstaffed sampling stations that facilitate social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Thank you hunters—in advance!
Hunters, you are essential to surveillance efforts and our ability to collect the needed samples to detect the disease on the landscape. While that’s always been true, changes this year highlight this important point because if you’re in a CWD zone, you will have the option to get your deer sampled. At the DNR, we remain committed to keeping our wild deer healthy while also facilitating social distancing for hunters and DNR staff.
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How to provide input on farmed deer and elk rules
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is asking for public participation as it goes through the process of changing its rules for farmed cervidae (commonly called deer and elk) to help the agency better prevent and control diseases like CWD.
The public can participate in the process in several ways including by tuning in to the first meeting of the Farmed Cervidae Advisory Committee on Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and by providing written comments about the proposed rule changes at any time through Sept. 14. The public will have a second opportunity to comment on the rules after the Board publishes its Notice of Intent toward the end of 2020.
Ripley hunt permits on sale Friday
Hunters can purchase permits for the archery deer hunts at Camp Ripley near Little Falls starting at noon on Friday, Aug. 28. Permits will remain on sale as long as they are available, or until Friday, Oct. 2.
This year, the DNR will not hold a preference lottery for Camp Ripley archery permits. Instead, hunters can purchase permits for the hunt directly, on a first-come, first served basis. Find details about how to apply and participate on the DNR Camp Ripley hunt webpage.
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Deer lottery deadline is Sept. 10
Firearms and muzzleloader hunters, here’s a reminder that if you want to harvest antlerless deer in a deer permit area designated as lottery this hunting season, you must purchase your license by Thursday, Sept. 10.
Hunters who want to participate in special firearm or muzzleloader deer hunts also need to apply for permits that are issued through a lottery, and that application deadline is also Sept. 10.
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Virtual public meeting on CWD in the south metro area is Sept. 15
The DNR will host a virtual public meeting in September to provide information about CWD pertaining to its discovery in a wild deer in Dakota County in March. The meeting will be 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, and will include presentations by DNR staff and also the opportunity to ask questions. You can register online.
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How to get deer your tested
If you hunt in disease management zones, control zones or surveillance areas, you can get deer checked for CWD throughout the season by dropping off the head of deer 1 year of age or older at a self-service sampling station. Please continue to check our CWD webpage as the seasons get closer because this is where you’ll find the most up-to-date information about these sampling stations.
And keep in mind, if you harvest a deer in a CWD surveillance area you can get it tested even when self-service sampling stations are not available. Hunters can call the local DNR wildlife office within that surveillance area to arrange for their deer to be sampled for CWD.
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Mandatory carcass movement restrictions in effect
Mandatory carcass movement restrictions are in effect for all CWD management and control zones, in southeastern Minnesota, north-central Minnesota and the south-metro area. Whole carcasses cannot leave these zones until a “not detected” test result is received.
If hunters do not submit their deer for sampling, they must debone or quarter their deer and leave the head with brain and spinal column inside the zone, in order to transport their harvest prior to receiving a “not detected” result. Dumpsters will be available for hunters to properly dispose of these carcass parts inside these zones. No carcass movement restrictions are in place in CWD surveillance areas, where the disease has not been discovered in wild deer.
Online license purchasing reminder
Anyone buying a license online from the DNR—especially licenses with application deadlines—should be aware they may need to give themselves some extra time to verify their name in the electronic licensing system.
The system requires a customer to enter their first and last name identically to what they have in the licensing system. For example, an “Elizabeth” listed in the DNR system by that name would need to enter that full name rather than simply “Beth.” People can buy DNR licenses online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense.
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