The Lyon County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday OK’d having Garvin Park host this year’s special deer hunt for people with disabilities.
The Oct. 30-31 event was held at Camden State Park in 2025, but had to be moved this year because it would coincide with the youth hunt, and visitors requested that Camden not be closed two consecutive weekends.
The Accessible Deer Hunt is organized by the Southwest Center for Independent Living (SWCIL) in an effort to to help individuals with disabilities explore ways to remove barriers to hunting and learn to hunt or be able to enjoying hunting again.
Only those with disabilities will be allowed to hunt — with a shotgun or crossbow — during those two days, and the park will be closed to the public.
“We applied for a special hunt permit through the DNR,” said David Haen of SWCIL. “It’s not listed in the DNR hunting handbook; all the applications come straight through the Southwest Center for Independent Living office. We pick the hunters and pair them up with a mentor.”
There are at least two other similar hunts in northern Minnesota, Haen said.
Brooke Kor, parks maintenance supervisor, said the Lyon County Parks Board in February approved the decision to move the special hunt. All that was left was for the county board to approve closing the park Oct. 30-31, which it did Tuesday.
The regular archery season in Minnesota runs from Nov. 1-Dec. 31.
Hunters must possess a permanent disability severe enough to qualify for disability services, as well as a valid Minnesota Firearms Deer License (or archery license if hunting with a crossbow). For the special hunt, each hunter is allowed to harvest one deer; if a hunter doesn’t fill his or her tag, their license can carry over to the regular deer hunting season.
“We have a special number with the DNR to register, saying it was taken during the special hunt, not in open season,” Haen said.
Commissioner Rick Anderson asked the board its wishes pertaining to whether or not hunters can use a shotgun or rifle. He said it was up to the county board, not the parks board, to make that determination. The parks board had recommended shotgun only — not a rifle, and the county board concurred, with the caveat that crossbows can also be used during the special hunt.
