ST. Paul, MN -(Ammoland.com)- Hunters making plans for upcoming seasons can get scouting and other services from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) digital tools.
“Hunters have access to maps and aerial photos that can help in finding new hunting opportunities,” said Jay Johnson, hunter recruitment and retention supervisor. “They can buy hunting licenses online including with a mobile phone, check hunting regulations or, after seasons open, go online to register a deer they harvested.”
In addition to registering a deer online, hunters can also go online to register a bear, wolf or turkey. While studying maps will rarely beat time spent outdoors hunting or scouting hunting land, these and other tools can help in planning routes to and from a deer stand, seeing terrain features and getting a better sense of an area.
Maps
- The DNR’s Recreation Compass includes everything from state forests to waterfowl production areas to Walk-in Access sites. Deer hunters can see the boundaries of deer permit areas and zoom in to see how permit area boundaries relate to where they hunt. The site also includes a mobile version.
- Hunter walking trails provide access to grouse and other small-game hunting, with information online.
- At MNDNR/WMAS, learn more about Minnesota’s more than 1,500 wildlife management areas (WMA) that include a total of more than 1.3 million acres managed as WMAs. These areas are open to public hunting and trapping, as well as other uses such as hiking, wildlife watching and cross country skiing. Maps allow users to search by county for WMAs. For each WMA, users can see what types of hunting area allowed, read reports on habitat management, and view maps that show locations of water and different types of trees or vegetation.
- A number of other mapping tools can be used. An index of some of them is online.
Hunting information
- The DNR’s hunting pages can be found through MNDNR Hunting, which links to a grouse hunting page, a waterfowl hunting page, and a deer hunting page.
- Deer management information can be found here, which includes information about upcoming deer population goal setting.
- Hunting regulations can be found here.
Licenses
- Minnesota residents and non-residents interested in hunting can purchase licenses online. The site also includes online harvest registration, vehicle and boat renewal, and safety training certification.
About the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR)
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state’s natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recreational trails, and recreation areas as well as managing minerals, wildlife, and forestry. The agency is currently divided into sections Ecological Resources, Enforcement, Fish & Wildlife, Forestry, Lands and Minerals, Waterways, Parks and Trails, and Waters.