Controlled hunting opportunities

Olmsted County Parks and Trails provide limited, controlled hunting opportunities for both veterans and the general public at Chester Woods Park and Oxbow Park. Select an event below to learn more about the opportunities available and be sure to review the regulations for each event before participating.

Annual Lottery Deer Hunt at Chester Woods Park

The Annual Lottery Deer Hunt at Chester Woods Park takes place during the Firearm (B) 300 Series. November 21, 2026, through November 29, 2026. Chester Woods Park is closed to the general public during the hunt. 80 hunters are selected by a lottery drawing to help harvest a sufficient number of animals to keep the herd healthy and manageable, along with eight alternates. Four permits are reserved for a physically disabled hunter and one assistant and distributed by Olmsted County staff. A doctor's note is required. Please contact our office for this request.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, and closes on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 4 p.m.

The drawing will be held on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 8 a.m. at the Public Works Service Center located at 1188 50th Street SE, Rochester, MN. Following the lottery drawing, all successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified via email and/or mail of their lottery outcome, and winners will be provided with information on when to pick up permission packets.

All successful applicants must provide picture identification, a current year's deer license, and at least one current year disease management harvest tag when picking up the permission packet. Selected applicants who fail to pick up their permission packet will forfeit their opportunity to hunt at Chester Woods for the current season, as well as next season. There will be no exceptions to this requirement. If you are selected and unable to hunt, please notify us as soon as possible at 507-328-7070. All hunters must return the pre-addressed postcard provided in their packet by mail within five days following the hunt, regardless of whether an animal was taken or not, for our reporting purposes.

Registration Entry Form

Additional Registration Rules

  1. Parties of up to four persons may register on a single form. An applicant’s name can only appear on one application.

  2. Successful applicants will be issued a written permission slip allowing them to hunt within the park.  Picture identification, 2026 deer license, and Disease Management Harvest Tag must be provided when picking up the permission slip.

  3. All hunters bringing vehicles into the park must place the issued parking permit on the dash of their vehicle.

  4. All hunters must carry picture identification, hunting license, and permission slip while in the park.

  5. The park will be closed to the general public during the deer season.

  6. No one without a valid permission slip will be allowed within the park for any reason.

  7. All trash must be removed.

  8. Conservation officers will be patrolling the park, and violators will be prosecuted.

  9. All hunters must return the pre-addressed report postcard by mail within 5 business days following the hunt, regardless of whether an animal was taken or not. Cards will be distributed with the permission slips. 

10. Archers may hunt during the same dates and under the same rules.

11. The purpose of this hunt is to harvest sufficient numbers to keep the Chester Woods herd healthy and manageable.  It may or may not be repeated in subsequent years.

12. MN DNR Rules and Regulations must be followed. You can follow this link for more information: Deer hunting | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us).

• Or contact MN DNR directly at 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367
• Email: info.dnr@state.mn.us

13. These rules will be enforced without exception!

Deer Stand and Blind Regulations

Successful applicants will be allowed to install one deer blind or elevated deer stand on park property with the following restrictions:

1. All stands and blinds must be of a design where no invasive spikes, foot pegs, nails or any other climbing aid is needed for installation.  Further, any tree utilized for the placement of a stand may not be altered in any way.
2. All stands and blinds must be tagged with the following information: name, address, phone number and deer hunting license number.
3. Ground blinds are required to have a blaze orange material that is at least 144 square inches (12x12 inches) on each side of the blind. 
4. The creation of shooting lanes to facilitate the effectiveness of the elevated stand or blind is strictly prohibited.  No shooting lanes will be tolerated on the anchor tree or on any other trees, shrubs, or vegetation within the hunting area.

Failure to comply with the above regulations will lead to the confiscation of illegal stands or blinds, and may include the issuance of a ticket for violating county park regulations. 

Note: Placement of the blinds can be done on Friday, November 20, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 4 pm, which is one day prior to the beginning of the 3b season.  No stands or blinds will be allowed to be placed prior to November 20, 2026. All blinds must be removed from Chester Woods Park by the end of the day Monday, November 30, 2026.

Call 507-328-7350 for more information