ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wants new off-road driving enthusiasts to know the rules for this upcoming deer hunting season.
Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) will be restricted in some areas where hunters use rifles to hunt deer, because bullets travel much farther than a blast from a shotgun.
"Recent riding seasons have seen many new OHV enthusiasts hitting the trails for the first time, and many of them may not be familiar with these longstanding temporary closures," said Bruce Lawrence, recreational vehicle coordinator for the DNR Enforcement Division, in a news release. "The goal of these closures is simple: To protect public safety and reduce potential conflict between riders and hunters."
The OHVs restricted include all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles and registered off-road vehicles such as four-wheel drive trucks that are not being used by deer hunters.
The restrictions are for designated off-road riding trails on state land, including grant-in-aid trails and state forest trails, but not state forest roads.
According to the DNR news release, here are the effective dates of the recreational riding restrictions:
• Nov. 6 – 21 for the northeastern Minnesota 100 Series deer season.
• Nov. 6 – 14 for the Minnesota 200 Series deer season, in those permit areas where hunters may use rifles.
The restrictions do not apply in the shotgun zone of the 200 Series or in southeastern Minnesota, where OHV trails close by Nov. 1 each year.
For specific trail closure information see the 2021 deer hunting regulations. For more OHV information go to this section.
