MARSHALL, Minn. — More than 400,000 hunters are expected to participate in Minnesota’s 2026 firearms deer season, which opens Saturday.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reports license sales are up significantly compared to last year. DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen says hunters are showing their excitement by purchasing licenses early.
“We are excited that heading into deer season our license sales are up significantly over where we were last year. So people are buying their licenses early and they are excited for deer season,” Strommen said.
Harvest numbers are also running ahead of last year’s pace during the early hunting seasons.
“We are also seeing harvest numbers up through the archery season and the youth season. We are up significantly,” Strommen said.
Strommen reminds hunters to review current regulations, check deer permit area boundaries and make sure their licenses are up to date before heading into the woods.
