Minn. R. agency 158, ch. 6232, DEER, pt. 6232.0300

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 24, December 9, 2024

Part 6232.0300 - [Effective 1/31/2025] GENERAL RESTRICTIONS FOR TAKING DEER

Subp. 1.Season options.

A firearm deer hunter may purchase a firearm license valid for the regular firearms deer season or a youth firearms license. A muzzleloader deer hunter may purchase a muzzleloader license valid for the muzzleloader season or a youth muzzleloader license. For the regular firearm season, a hunter must select either the A or B season and this option will be printed on the license at the time of purchase. A person may only hunt deer by firearms within the season option indicated on the person's firearm license, except:

A. as prescribed in part 6232.1970, subpart 2;

B. a firearm license for any season option is valid in the Metropolitan Deer Management Zone under part 6232.4700, subpart 158; and

C. youth firearm license holders may hunt deer in both the statewide A and late southeast B seasons.

Subp. 2.Modification of quota numbers for group applications.

The quota of licenses or permits for a drawing may be increased to accommodate group members if the last applicant to be selected is a member of a group.

Subp. 3.Party hunting.

A party is a group of two or more licensed deer hunters who are afield hunting together and are all using firearms or all using archery equipment. A member of a party may kill a legal buck or antlerless deer for another member of the party who has an unused tag valid for that deer, except:

A. as provided by Minnesota Statutes, section 97B.301; and

B. in all 300 series deer permit areas as prescribed in part 6232.1300, subpart 3, where unused tags can be used on antlerless deer only. A mixed-weapons group is considered two separate parties. Persons issued permits under Minnesota Statutes, section 97B.055, subdivision 3, who are hunting in a lottery deer permit area and do not have an either-sex permit may not tag antlerless deer for another member of the party.

Subp. 4. [Repealed, L 2008 c 368 art 2s 82]

Subp. 5.Tagging.

The tag of the license valid for taking the deer must be affixed around the tendon or bone of a hind leg, around the base of an antler, or through a slit cut in either ear.

Subp. 6.License purchase and validation.

A. A bonus permit may be purchased any time throughout the open deer seasons. Bonus permits are valid immediately upon purchase, as long as the purchaser has a valid regular license. When a regular license is purchased after the start of the season for that license, a bonus permit is not valid until the waiting period has expired for the regular license.

B. Before a deer is moved from the site of kill, the person tagging the deer must validate the tag. Validation consists of using a knife or similar sharp object to cut out or a pen to indelibly mark the appropriate notches on the tag indicating:

(1) the month the deer was taken;

(2) the date the deer was taken; and

(3) the time of day the deer was taken.

Subp. 7.All-terrain vehicle or snowmobile use by licensed hunters.

A. A person licensed to take deer must not operate an all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile in an area open for the taking of deer by firearms during legal shooting hours on a day that they are licensed to take deer within that area except from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. each day.

B. A person licensed to take deer who does not possess a firearm, either cased or uncased, may use an all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile to retrieve and transport a deer that is known to be dead from the close of shooting hours to two hours after the close of shooting hours during the regular firearms deer season and for one day after the season on wildlife management areas north and west of a line described as follows:

State Trunk Highway (STH) 1 from the west boundary of the state to STH 89; then north along STH 89 to Fourtown; then north on County State-Aid Highway (CSAH) 44, Beltrami County, to County Road 704, Beltrami County; then north on County Road 704 to Dick's Parkway State Forest Road; then north on Dick's Parkway to CSAH 5, Roseau County; then north on CSAH 5 to Warroad; then north on STH 11 to STH 313; then north on STH 313 to the north boundary of the state.

C. For purposes of this chapter, all-terrain vehicles are vehicles, including trail bikes, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, tracked vehicles, or other manufactured or homemade vehicles, not licensed for highway use. Motor vehicles licensed for and being lawfully operated on a public road or highway, or farm tractors being used for agricultural purposes, are exempt from this subpart. This subpart applies to all lands and waters regardless of ownership except as provided in item B, and except that:

(1) the owner of the land on which the all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile is operated is exempt;

(2) a person with the landowner's permission to operate an all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile on the land is exempt; and

(3) a licensed deer hunter may operate a snowmobile on state grant-in-aid trails during the deer season. A permit to operate these vehicles during the restricted hours may be issued by a conservation officer in the event of an emergency or other unusual conditions.

Subp. 8.Bag limit.

A person may not tag more than one legal buck per calendar year using any combination of licenses. A person may not tag more than one deer during a license year by any method, except as authorized in items A to G.

A. In deer areas designated as managed or intensive, a person may tag deer with an archery, firearms, or muzzleloader license.

B. A person may tag a deer by archery, firearm, or muzzleloader with a bonus permit in specified areas as prescribed in this chapter.

C. In no case may a person tag more than five deer per year by firearms, archery, muzzleloader, or all methods combined, except additional deer may be taken as provided in items D, subitem (4); E; F; and G.

D. Except as provided in items E and F, the total bag limits by deer permit area are as follows:

(1) the total bag limit for lottery, hunter choice, and youth-only antlerless deer permit areas is one deer;

(2) the total aggregate bag limit for managed deer permit areas is two deer;

(3) the total aggregate bag limit for intensive deer permit areas is five deer; and

(4) in addition to the total bag limits under subitems (1) to (3), a person with a free landowner deer license may take one additional antlerless deer on land owned or leased by the person in managed and intensive deer permit areas.

E. Up to two antlerless deer may be taken in the early antlerless deer areas as prescribed in part 6232.1750. These deer may be taken in addition to the bag limit established in item C.

F. Hunters hunting in the Metropolitan Deer Management Zone under part 6232.4700, subpart 158, may take and tag an unlimited number of deer.

G. Muzzleloader and archery deer hunters hunting in deer permit areas 300 to 399 may take deer under the most liberal bag limits prescribed for the deer permit area.

Subp. 9.Alternative color prescribed.

Persons whose sincerely held religious beliefs do not permit them to wear the color prescribed in Minnesota Statutes, section 97B.071, may wear bright red as an alternative color in the same manner as the prescribed color.

Minn. R. agency 158, ch. 6232, DEER, pt. 6232.0300

18 SR 83; 19 SR 484; 19 SR 2222; 20 SR 2287; 22 SR 292; 30 SR 394; 30 SR 613; 31 SR 745; L 2008 c 368 art 2 s 82; 34 SR 621; 35 SR 2014; 39 SR 1006

48 SR 191 (EMERGENCY)

49 SR 197, exp. 1/31/2025 (Emergency)

Statutory Authority: MS s 14.388; 84.924; 97A.411; 97A.535; 97B.071; 97B.301; 97B.311; and others at 19 SR 6