Deer Gun Seasons Are Starting
Firearms deer seasons are opening across the northern tier and the East this month, and several states are dealing with fewer licenses, disease or crowded woods. Here is what is known for Minnesota, North Dakota, Connecticut and Delaware, plus a hunting policy item from British Columbia.
Minnesota: About 400,000 Hunters
Minnesota's statewide firearms deer season began November 7, with closing dates varying by deer permit area. The Governor's Deer Hunting Opener was held Thursday, November 5, in Grand Rapids, with a listening session and a pint night at Rapids Brewing Company, according to the Minnesota DNR and local reports. KNSI reported that about 400,000 hunters were expected to take part and that license sales were up. The DNR reported that early deer hunt seasons saw a 30% increase in harvest compared with last year, and MPR News said the outlook favors hunters. A CBS Minnesota report earlier in the season noted fewer hunters and a healthy deer population as challenges ahead of the opener.
The Star Tribune ran a comparison of tactics, headlined "Sit, sneak or drive," noting that drives are the surest way to make a deer show itself but that hunting accidents among groups often happen during drives. The DNR describes sitting in a stand or blind as the most common form of deer hunting in the state.
North Dakota: Fewest Licenses in Over 50 Years
North Dakota's 17-day deer gun season runs November 6 to 22. The state made 39,100 licenses available, down 3,200 from last year and the lowest total in more than half a century. The department closed four units to antlerless whitetail hunting to help herds rebound from an ongoing outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease. Hunters need 400 square inches of blaze orange, and using aircraft to spot game is illegal for 72 hours before and during the season. Nonresidents were barred from wildlife management areas and PLOTS areas from October 10 to 16.
Connecticut: Firearms Season Starts November 18
Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced that the fall firearms deer season opens Wednesday, November 18. The private-land shotgun, rifle and revolver season runs November 18 to December 8. Rifles are legal for deer only on private land, and the lottery season on state land begins with a Lottery A period from November 18 to 27. Junior Deer Hunter Training Days run November 7 to 14. A third-party site lists slightly different dates, so DEEP's guide is the source to rely on.
Delaware: Two Firearms Windows
Delaware's general firearm white-tailed deer season is listed for November 14 to 23, 2026 and January 17 to 25, 2027. A state news item expects another big harvest, but harvest figures were not available in the sources reviewed.
British Columbia: A Grizzly Hunt Debate
In Canada, the CBC reported that a call to bring back licensed grizzly bear hunting, closed in British Columbia since 2017, has resurfaced after a fatal grizzly attack near Bella Coola. The B.C. Wildlife Federation's executive director said "we have to do something because what we're currently doing is very clearly not working." Conservationists disagree, with one expert saying there is no evidence that hunting instills fear in grizzly bears near communities, and the Coastal First Nations alliance said it does not want to engage in talks about reopening the hunt. The ministry said the licensed hunt remains closed and First Nations keep their constitutional right to hunt grizzly bears for food, social and ceremonial purposes. No decision to reopen the hunt has been reported.
Disease and Access Context
Several of these seasons are shaped by wildlife disease. EHD has hit South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan this fall, and agencies have offered refunds, closed units and cut quotas. The federal government has also proposed expanding hunting access on national wildlife refuges, which Interior says would open more than 92 million acres.
Before You Go
Check your state agency's current proclamation for season dates, quotas and orange requirements, since dates differ between sources and agencies adjust rules during the season. Hunters in areas hit by EHD should avoid shooting visibly sick deer, and anyone driving in deer country should expect more animals on the move during the rut.
The Money Behind Deer Season
Deer hunting is the largest part of American big-game hunting. A 2026 peer-reviewed study cited an estimated $45.2 billion in total hunting spending in 2022 and put deer hunting at about $26 billion a year across roughly 8.1 million hunters, around 70% of big-game spending. A Southeast Deer Partnership report said deer hunters in the Southeast spend about $8.8 billion in a typical year, supporting an estimated 209,000 jobs. An older U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report counted 10.9 million deer hunters in 2011, with trip and equipment spending of $12.9 billion. Estimates vary with methodology, and industry-sponsored figures run higher than government ones.
That spending flows to gas stations, motels, processors, gun and archery shops, and state agencies through license fees. It is why shrinking license caps, like North Dakota's, and disease-driven refunds, like South Dakota's, matter beyond the herd: fewer licenses mean less revenue for the agencies that manage the herd, and fewer visiting hunters for small towns. Chronic wasting disease and EHD are the two diseases agencies cite most, and a peer-reviewed study this year examined the regional economic impact of CWD on deer hunters in Mississippi and Tennessee.
Disease Is Shaping the Season
EHD has hit hardest in the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Michigan, and has spread to Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wyoming and Montana. Wisconsin's DNR linked at least 2,305 deer deaths to the outbreak in eight counties, and Michigan confirmed it in 15 counties. In North Dakota, the reduction to 39,100 licenses and four closed units reflect the state's response. Hunters traveling for the season should check local conditions and rules, since agencies have changed quotas and refund policies in response to the outbreak.
