Apply now to be a deer hunt mentor or participant this fall

Fall will be here soon and its no time like the present to start making your hunting plans. The Minnesota DNR is offering adult learn to deer hunt events throughout the state. If you are a new hunter interested in getting into the field or someone looking to pass along your experience we encourage you to take a look at participation in this great event.

Information for Mentors:

The DNR is reaching out to our friends in R3 (Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation of hunters and anglers) to search for mentors for our Fall 2024 Learn to Hunt Deer offerings. We would like to invite you, someone in your organization, or someone you know well who would be interested, to apply to be a mentor in our Fall deer hunting programs. Please share this invitation widely!

We are currently seeking mentors for the following hunts:

October 4th – 6th: MN Valley Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge (Jordan)

October 11th – 13th: Schoolcraft State Park (Grand Rapids)

October 18th – 20th: Eagle Bluff Eagle Bluff ELC (Lanesboro) **This is a women-only hunt.

November 1st – 3rd: St. Croix State Park (Hinckley)

Commitment to mentoring includes:

1. An online orientation to mentoring. The date and time will be determined via doodle poll at a later date.

2. Mentors are required to attend at least one in person event with your mentee before the hunt (class, range time, scouting, stand selection/set up).

3. Each mentor will be required to be present for the weekend Friday/Saturday through Sunday morning/afternoon, for the hunt they participate in (see dates and timing below).

4. Mentors are welcome to coordinate additional range and scouting time with their mentees if both are interested. This will be at the participants’ own expense.

If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please click here for the application form. You will find details about requirements, timing, and more there.

If you have questions that aren’t answered in the application form, please reach out to Benji at [email protected] or 651-259-5178. Applications for mentors close on July 2nd, 2024. We will be in touch shortly afterward to follow up on your application.

We are reaching out to invite you to apply to be a student in our Fall Learn to Hunt Deer Offerings. We have four different mentored courses to invite you to apply for this year.

If admitted to one of these courses, you will be responsible for online course content, getting your Firearms Safety certificate, finding a time with your mentor to meet up (on or offline), and attending all required in person course components in addition to the hunt. There is more information about course requirements in the application form. It’s free to apply and the cost for each hunt is 100 dollars. Financial assistance is available for those chosen to participate who are facing financial barriers.

The hunt portions of the course offerings are as follows:

October 4th – 6th: Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge (Jordan, MN)
October 11th – 13th: Schoolcraft State Park (Grand Rapids, MN)
October 18th – 20th: Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center (Lanesboro, MN) *This is a women-only hunt.
November 1st – 3rd: St. Croix State Park (Hinckley, MN)

The deadline to apply is June 30th. DNR Fish and Wildlife Outreach Staff will follow up with you shortly after the deadline to let you know the outcome of your application.

Please reply to this email with any questions you have that aren’t answered in the application form. Click here to access the application. We look forward to hearing from you!