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Minnesota's archery deer and small-game hunting seasons will kick off on Saturday.
This week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters to brush up on safety recommendations and hunting regulations before heading out into the field.
"Hunting season is a time of year that many people look forward to and our goal is that every hunter who heads afield makes it home safely," said Capt. Jon Paurus, education program coordinator for the DNR Enforcement Division. "Whatever species they're targeting, every hunter should take a moment to focus on the task at-hand, whether that's climbing into their tree stand or ensuring they know exactly what's beyond the animal they intend to harvest."
The DNR is also encouraging hunters to buy their deer licenses early, to avoid any delays in their hunting plans.
In Minnesota, the window to hunt deer with a bow and arrow is from Sept. 19 through Dec. 31. The DNR has more detailed information about deer hunting around Minnesota through its online Deer Permit Area map. The interactive map provides statistics about the deer harvest in each area, as well as information on land available for public hunting, and hunting limits.
Deer Permit Area 288, which includes almost all of Lyon County, currently has a one-deer limit, according to the DNR's interactive map. The permit area is mostly privately-owned agricultural cropland, but there are a total of 25 square miles of land available for public hunting. Deer habitat areas include farm program acres such as CRP and CREP land, and state and federal wildlife lands.
Archery hunters can hunt in Lyon County's Garvin Park, but not until October, said Lyon County Environmental Administrator Roger Schroeder. The Lyon County Board has set this year's archery deer hunting season at Garvin Park from Oct. 24 through Dec. 31.
Schroeder said the later start was implemented for safety reasons, as fall horseback riding and a public Halloween event have become popular in the park.
Garvin Park hunting permits can be picked up at the Lyon County Public Works building on Fairgrounds Road in Marshall. Schroeder said in past years, the county has issued in the range of 50 to 70 permits a year.
"It's fluctuated over the years," he said. He wasn't sure how the later 2026 start date would affect the number of people who apply for archery deer permits.
DPA 290, which is located along the Minnesota River and includes part of Brown County, has a three-deer limit this year, according to the DNR's interactive map. Deer populations in the permit area have been above goal for several years, the DNR said. DPA 290 includes a mix of cropland, bottomland forest, wetland, prairie and cedar thickets. The area has a total of 5.2 square miles of land open to public hunting. However, the DNR said the Wildlife Management Area and Aquatic Management Area acreages can be crowded, especially on weekends during firearm season.