Two Parks Will Close for Scheduled Deer Hunts

Three Rivers Park District will conduct scheduled deer hunts intended to keep deer herds in balance with available habitat. This will necessitate the closing, or partial closing, of parks where the hunts are taking place.

A shotgun deer hunt is scheduled for November 5-6 at Elm Creek Park Reserve, Dayton/Maple Grove. A youth-mentored shotgun hunt is scheduled for November 25-27 at Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, Rockford. During the shotgun hunt, all portions of Elm Creek Park Reserve will be closed except for the Eastman Nature Center building, which will be open from 9 AM– 3 PM on Saturday, November 5. All trails will be closed. Lake Rebecca Park Reserve will be closed east of East Rebecca Road. Visitors are asked to obey all signs in place during the hunts. 

A limited number of hunters are selected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for shotgun hunts conducted in Three Rivers. Hunters have already been selected for this year’s hunts.

In addition to temporarily closing the parks to the public, Three Rivers takes several measures to ensure the safety of nearby residents. For parks that have homes located adjacent to park borders, shotgun hunting boundaries are established well within park property. Hunters may not go beyond these boundaries unless they are accompanied by a Park Police officer. In addition, all shotgun hunters must attend a pre-hunt orientation that stresses firearm safety procedures. Deer hunters must also follow all applicable DNR regulations.

See the 2022 deer hunt schedule and learn more about safety practices during deer hunts.