Options for people with disabilities at WMAs

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minnesota department of natural resources

Minnesota Wildlife

Oct. 21, 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.

hunter in a wheelchair with a deer he harvested and DNR area wildlife manager next to him

Welcoming people with disabilities at WMAs

For anyone who has a disability and wants to use wildlife management areas: The DNR wants you to know about options available and for you to be able access these public lands. Check out the details and please give an area wildlife office a call if you have questions.

Minnesota’s system of 1.3 million acres of land in 1,500 WMAs is open to everyone for a variety of outdoor activities. These activities include public hunting and trapping, as well as other uses like fishing, wildlife watching and nature photography.
a buck rub in snowy woods

Field reports for deer hunters 

Nearly half a million firearms deer hunters are making a plan for the firearms deer season that opens Saturday, Nov. 7, and offers opportunity to spend time outdoors with friends and family, find adventure outdoors and put venison in the freezer.

Hunters help keep deer populations in line with population goals across the state. DNR wildlife managers report favorable weather so far this year and good opportunities to harvest deer in most areas. Read regional reports from across the state.
DNR staff holding a backstrap

Quartering, sampling, caping how-to videos available

Videos about how to use a self-service sampling station to get deer tested for chronic wasting disease, how to quarter a deer, how to cape a trophy deer and how to remove lymph nodes from a deer are available on the CWD videos page. Check them out as you make your deer hunting plan.
Jeff Ledermann and his daughter deer hunting, with a harvested buck

How to get kids out hunting

Parents and guardians, want some advice on how to get your kids interested in fishing and hunting? Check out the recording of a recent webinar from the DNR on mentoring your kids in fishing and hunting. Benji Kohn, DNR mentor coordinator, and Jeff Ledermann, DNR outreach supervisor, talk about their experiences engaging their children in fishing and hunting. They discuss tips and tricks that worked for them, safety concerns, and some of the rules and regulations involving youth. In addition, their daughters join each of them with their thoughts and ideas.
DNR conservation officer and enforcement staff doing inventory of confiscated firearms and bows

DNR confiscated equipment auction open until Saturday

An ongoing DNR auction of confiscated hunting equipment will begin closing at 11 a.m. on Oct. 24. The auction, which is online in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, includes 252 firearms and 39 bows that were confiscated following serious game and fish violations.

Give yourself some time when buying licenses online

Anyone buying a license online from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — 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 would need to enter the full name rather than simply “Beth.” People can buy DNR licenses online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense. Hunters who order deer licenses and tags online should allow 5-10 business days for delivery.

Find hunting information

You can find the information you need about hunting and trapping regulations, harvest registration, contacting a conservation officer and pursuing a variety of species on the DNR hunting page at mndnr.gov/hunting.