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Kandiyohi County to stick with shotguns, Stearns County will allow rifles during fall deer hunt

Minnesota deer hunting
Minnesota deer hunting

(Willmar MN-) By a 3 to 2 vote, The Kandiyohi County Board Tuesday passed an ordinance to keep this fall’s deer hunting season shotgun-only. A new state law allowed rifles to also be used, but also gave counties the option to stay shotgun only.

The ordinance that passed read “During the regular firearms deer hunting season in the shotgun use area, only legal shotguns loaded with single-slug shotgun shells, legal muzzle-loading long guns, and legal handguns may be used for taking deer. Legal shotguns include those with rifled barrels.”

The ordinance defines the shotgun use area as all territory within the boundaries of Kandiyohi County.

The Stearns County Board of Commissioners Tuesday voted to allow the use of rifles for deer hunting in Stearns County, opting not to adopt a shotgun-only ordinance. The decision aligns Stearns County with current Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulations, which took effect in January and permit rifle use throughout the state.

The Board’s action follows significant public engagement, including extensive testimony from residents were the majority favored allowing rifles for deer hunting. Residents cited consistency with state rules, hunter preference, and the effectiveness of rifles in deer management as key reasons for support.

By choosing not to enact a local restrictive ordinance, Stearns County will follow Minnesota’s standard deer hunting regulations, meaning hunters in Stearns County will be able to use rifles during the appropriate deer hunting seasons.

Most of our surrounding counties have decided to allow rifles, like Meeker, Renville, Swift and Chippewa Counties, while Pope is staying with shotgun.