A successful deer hunt requires planning. Our Make a Plan tool is designed to make your hunt easier. It provides easy access to essential hunting and chronic wasting disease (CWD) information.The Make a Plan tool walks you through:- How to purchase the correct license
- CWD requirements for the area you hunt
- The regulations for the seasons and areas where you hunt
- How to process your deer - whether you want to do it yourself or visit a processor
- Tips for a safe hunt, including firearms, tree stand and hunting safety
Know your deer permit area
To buy a deer hunting license, you must declare the deer permit area in which you expect to hunt. If you don't know your DPA number, use the interactive deer map.
Find your DPA
Use the show entries, search and sort features to locate and list the DPAs in which you hunt. Hold your mouse over the links to locate and view information.
Comments from people interested in the health and quality of Minnesota’s fisheries are a critical part of the DNR’s fisheries lake management planning process. These plans establish fisheries management goals and objectives for each lake and guide the work fisheries biologists do each year.
Learn more about the process and lakes being evaluated during 2025 on our lake management planning page.