If your brain has been doing gymnastics trying to keep up with Minnesota’s deer hunting rule changes, you are not alone. This whole rifle-versus-shotgun situation has gone from “simple old map” to “better check that county board agenda.” So, we updated our map again to help make sense of it.
The big statewide change is this: Minnesota’s long-standing shotgun-only zone is repealed starting with the 2026 deer season. That means, in general, legal rifles and shotguns can be used statewide for deer hunting unless a county in the old shotgun zone passes its own ordinance to remain shotgun-only. The Minnesota DNR has also been clear that hunters should check county-level decisions because local ordinances now matter in a way they did not before.
So, what changed on the map?
The short version is that a lot of the map is trending toward rifle territory, but not every county is going the same direction.
On our updated rifle vs. shotgun map, most counties in the old southern and western shotgun zone are currently shown as keeping the rifle option. That is the headline. The statewide rule changed, and unless a county acts to stay shotgun-only, rifle becomes legal there for deer season under the new framework.
At the same time, several counties have chosen to stay shotgun-only, and a handful still had forums, meetings, or votes scheduled when this version of the map was updated. That is why this is not just a “one and done” issue. It is evolving county by county, meeting by meeting, vote by vote.
Which counties are shotgun for deer season in Minnesota?
Based on the current update shown on our map, the counties marked shotgun-only include Wilkin, Pope, Brown, Cottonwood, Watonwan, Rock, Nobles, Faribault, and Houston. Dodge is also shown as voting to stay shotgun-only, which matches recent reporting that the county board voted to keep its shotgun-only ordinance. Houston County also recently voted to ban rifles for deer hunting season.
There are also counties on the map that were still shown as pending or in discussion at the time of the update, including counties with scheduled votes or public forums. That is exactly why hunters keep asking us, “Which counties are shotgun for deer season in Minnesota?” The answer now depends not just on the old statewide zone, but on the latest county action.
How do you figure out if the county you hunt in is shotgun or rifle for deer hunting?
Honestly, this is the question everybody should be asking.
If you are wondering how do you figure out if the county you hunt in is shotgun or rifle for deer hunting, here is the best practical approach:
First, look at an updated county-level map like ours. We also want to give a huge shoutout to Outdoor News for helping this information get out to more people; they recently featured our map in their own detailed breakdown of how these county decisions are coming into focus. Second, verify the county’s most recent action. Third, double check Minnesota DNR guidance before season opens. The DNR has specifically said county decisions now affect where rifles remain restricted, so hunters need to confirm what applies where they hunt rather than assuming the old shotgun zone map still tells the whole story.
That is really the biggest takeaway here. The old question used to be, “Am I north or south of the line?” Now it is more like, “What did my county board decide, and has anything changed since the last meeting?”
Why this matters for Minnesota deer hunters
This matters because planning a deer season setup is not exactly a last-minute hobby. Hunters want to know what firearm they can legally use, how to sight in, what ammo to stock up on, and whether the county they hunt in changed rules since the last coffee-shop conversation.
It also matters because this new county-by-county setup is more confusing than the old blanket rule. That may be good, bad, or somewhere in between depending on who you ask, but one thing is certain: clarity matters, and right now hunters need current information more than ever. The DNR says the 2026 season is when the old shotgun-only zone ends, but counties in that former zone can still choose local restrictions.
We’re keeping an eye on it
We know this is a complicated issue, and we’re still trying to keep up on all the updates for you guys. If you see anything on the map that needs to be changed or updated, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
We’re also working on a more detailed version that shows not only which counties are rifle and which counties are shotgun for deer season in Minnesota, but also where the hunting zones are. Because apparently this topic was not complicated enough already.