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License applications are available now. Interested hunters have through Friday, June 11, to apply for one of 30 elk licenses offered this year by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Seasons will run from late August to mid-October.
This year’s seasons are similar to last year’s seasons, which provided hunters with more opportunities to harvest antlerless elk. Hunters can choose from three license options: a license for a bull elk; a license for an antlerless elk, which can be a female or a young male; or a license for either a bull or antlerless elk.
The dates for the 2021 Minnesota elk season are:
Saturday, August 28, to Sunday, September 5: Five antlerless tags and two either-sex tags will be available in the Kittson central (zone 20) zone.
Saturday, September 11, to Sunday, September 19: Five antlerless tags and two either-sex tags will be available in the Kittson central (zone 20) zone and two bull-only tags will be available in the Kittson northeast (zone 30) zone.
Saturday, September 25, to Sunday, October 3: Five antlerless tags and two either-sex tags will be available in the Kittson central (zone 20) zone.
Saturday, October 9, to Sunday, October 17: Five antlerless tags and two either-sex tags will be available in the Kittson central (zone 20) zone.
The DNR uses hunting as the main tool to manage elk populations, with focused harvest of female elk aimed at keeping populations within goal range.
Applying for a license
It is important that hunters review the elk season structure on the DNR website prior to entering the lottery to ensure they apply for the license they want. Five licenses are reserved for applicants who have unsuccessfully applied for at least 10 years and five licenses are reserved for individuals who meet landowner requirements.
Hunters must select the type of elk license they are applying for: bull-only (two licenses available), either-sex (eight licenses available) or antlerless-only (20 licenses available), in addition to the zone and season. Hunters may apply individually or in parties of two online or by telephone 888-665-4236. There is a nonrefundable application fee of $5 per hunter.
Successful hunters will need to present their animal within 24 hours of harvest for registration and collection of biological samples to screen for diseases or other health-related issues.
More information is available on the DNR’s elk hunting page. For more on Minnesota’s elk, visit the DNR’s elk management.
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