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04. Deer Hunting Zones Staff Report Date of Meeting: November 5, 2025 For: Honorable Mayor and Council From: Kyle Morell, City Administrator Subject: Deer Hunting Zones Background Beginning in 2026, Minnesota will allow deer hunters to use rifles throughout the state. Currently, Washington County is a shotgun-only area for deer hunting. The attached state map shows the area division of firearms use for deer hunting. The area south of the red line is shotgun only; north of the red line is shotgun or rifle. The County can pass an ordinance prohibiting rifle hunting within the County, but the City cannot. The law change goes into effect for the 2026 deer hunting season. Issue The County Administrator has asked whether cities would support a county-wide ban on rifle use for deer hunting or would prefer to allow rifle hunting within their city limits. Attachments: Zone Map Press Release from MN Fish and Wildlife News release: DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac, Oct. 27 October 27, 2025 Minnesota’s shotgun-only deer hunting zone staying same in 2025, changes coming in 2026 Minnesota’s shotgun-only zone for deer hunting is changing — but not until 2026. The shotgun zone remains in effect this year. Once the law goes into effect, hunters generally will be allowed to use legal rifles or shotguns throughout the state during the deer hunting season, wherever deer hunting is permitted, unless a county formally passes an ordinance restricting the use of rifles in their county. Counties where all firearms currently are allowed cannot restrict firearm types based on this new law — only counties in the current shotgun zone may choose to remain shotgun-only. The current zones can be viewed on the printed deer season map available on the DNR hunting regulations webpage (/regulations/hunting/index.html). Q u e s t i o n s ? C all 65 1-2 96 -6 1 57 o r 8 88 -6 46 -63 67 Emai l u s: info.dnr@state.mn.us  S i g n u p f o r e m a i l u p d a t e s  Email address Subscribe 10/31/25, 9:11 AM DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac, Oct. 27 : Oct 27, 2025 | News release | Minnesota DNR https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/2025/10/27/dnr-fish-and-wildlife-almanac-oct-27 1/2