Lyon County commissioners hear from hunters, landowners on 2026 deer hunting shotgun zone repeal
The debate over whether or not deer hunters in Lyon County should be allowed to use centerfire rifles is about more than guns. That sentiment was shared Tuesday in front of Lyon County Board of Commissioners, who welcomed area hunters and landowners to a listening session in the Lyon County Law Enforcement Center in an effort to gather enough opinion to determine whether or not to keep the county a slug-only county or allow high-powered rifles for deer hunting purposes.
The statewide Shotgun Zone will be repealed as of Jan. 1, 2026, initiating a county’s ability to adopt ordinances that restrict certain firearms during the deer hunting season. By March 1, 2026, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will notify counties of their option to pass a restrictive ordinance, as county boards will vote later this year on whether or not to allow hunters to use high-powered rifles over shotguns.
Sometime before the end of this year, Lyon County will let the DNR know of its wishes, and part of that process developed Tuesday when two dozen hunters and landowners in the county were given the chance to voice their opinion on the matter.
“The counties can say, ‘No, we’re not going to go along with (the repeal), and it will be strictly shotgun,’” Lyon County Board Chair Gary Crowley said to open Tuesday’s session. “As commissioners, we’ve all got a lot of comments — phone calls, in-person comments and emails. For us, it’s listening; we want to hear from you folks, your feelings on this.”
The result Tuesday was a mixed bag of thoughts, but the predominant sentiment among those gathered was to let hunters use centerfire rifles, with views ranging from safety to the future of deer herd quality. Each attendee was given five minutes to express their opinion, either for or against the repeal.
“We limit the use of many things that can cause harm or property damage — everything from speed limits in residential areas, weight limits on certain roads and bridges, even noise ordinances to increase safety and reduce the possibility of harm,” said Dana Baartz, a Lyon County property owner near Lynd. “Limiting the use of high-powered rifles should be no different. We cannot guarantee the responsible use of a rifle by all hunters, because as we know there’s always somebody who will ruin it for everyone else. This is why an individual property owner should have the ability to limit possible harm by having the ability to control activity that may impact themselves or their property.”
Baartz, the first to speak Tuesday, said the County should take a caution approach, which could include some restrictions on hunters, such as not allowing high-powered rifles within 2-4 miles of any residence or municipality.
Hunters wishing to use high-powered rifles, he said, need to have written permission from the municipality and homeowners to landowners.
“The enhanced ability to shoot a deer should not be a higher priority than public safety,” Baartz said.
A couple hunters in attendance Tuesday brought up the fact that there are already those who regularly use rifles to hunt deer, and there have been no safety issues.
Minneota-area resident Pete Doyscher said he is dead-set against the use of high-powered rifles for safety reasons, and said that the use of high-powered rifles will lead to a drop in deer population, meaning the opportunities to hunt deer in the future will decline.
“That high-powered shell will travel a lot farther than a slug,” he said. “We have a lot of family that hunts on neighboring property; there’s always been situations where we are at a danger on my wife’s property, and if you’re gonna allow them to use a highpower, shooting where they can’t see — that’s a concern,” Doyscher said. “We have grandchildren who hunt, and I want to make sure I’m alive to take them hunting, and I want to make sure they’re alive to hunt.”
Ron Prorok, a firearms safety instructor in Lyon County for more than a decade, told the audience that he has no personal concerns when it comes to the use of highpowered rifles, and safety should be a priority no matter what firearm one uses.
“We teach our students to be safe, whether they’re using a crossbow or a shotgun or a centerfire rifle — it’s about the principles of what you’re using and how you’re using it,” he said. “You’ve gotta be safe with the tools you have; most hunters understand that principle. It’s just like a person driving a car, whether you’re driving a mo-ped or a semitruck, you have to understand the tool you’re using and how you use it.”
One of the few female members of the audience Tuesday, LaVonne Knopik, said she was raised in a rifle zone. She lives in Milroy now but has a son who is a landowner in Lyon County and that she would “love to use my rifle on” his land.
Knopik said in her younger days, she was trained how to use a rifle by firearms instructors.
“My dad taught me that you don’t pull the trigger unless it’s a kill shot,” she said. “I would love to be able to use my Dusty Rifle.”
Bob Rialson said his main concern is the deer population, as hunting has been made easier throughout the years.
“I’m just looking to the future,” he said. “What’s going to happen if we’re back in a permit area and the deer population goes down? It’s gonna make it easier to get deer and the population will go down.”
If a county passes a shotgunonly ordinance, it will remain in effect until the county repeals or amends it. No annual renewals or special state approval processes are required, and counties should follow their standard ordinance process, including public input. DNR conservation officers will enforce shotgun-only ordinances passed under this authority and will not enforce more restrictive or confusing ordinances (e.g., restrictions on caliber, ammunition type, or pistols).
Lyon County Commissioner Tom Andries said the listening session was a good way to gather input from county residents.
“I’ve got a pile of notes — reasons people are for it, reasons people are against it,” he said. “There are concerns about the (deer) population being decimated with the rifles. But there are rifles already in use theoretically. I appreciate the people coming out; we’ve got a pretty important decision to make somewhere down the line.”
Commissioner Rick Anderson, who is a deer hunter himself, said those who own private land will still be allowed to prevent hunters from using rifles if they choose.
“I think we got a feeling — at least from this group — of where they stand,” said Anderson. “It’s not set what we’re going to do, but this was a good conversation. If I draw a line across the county, you look at the southern part, they would just as soon leave it as shotgun (only), you go to the northern part, they want to go to the rifle.”
The DNR, if notified by May 1 of the year enacted, ensures inclusion in the DNR Hunting Regulations booklet and website; a similar May 1 deadline would apply if a county repeals an ordinance in order to remove it. The DNR will post firearm restrictions on its website and regulations materials. Hunters will not be automatically notified when purchasing a license.
