MOORHEAD — Minnesota’s firearm hunting season starts this weekend, and the state Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters about chronic wasting disease.

Hunters are encouraged to visit the DNR website to check if they are hunting in a management zone: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/map.html .

Harvesting a deer in a management zone comes with mandatory sample requirements, and the DNR says opening weekend is a critical time for detection.

"To get our sample size, our goals, it's really our best bang for our buck, to get our samples over this opening weekend when a majority of the harvest happens," said Erik Hildebrand, DNR wildlife health supervisor.

Minnesota’s firearm hunting season officially begins Saturday, Nov. 8.

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