09/20/2026
Hope this smoothly for everyone..
Physical tagging of your harvest is no longer required ❌
The DNR no longer requires a physical tag to be attached to big game (deer, elk, bear), furbearers, turkey, or lake sturgeon at the time of harvest. Those physical tags are now replaced with the act of site validation.
At the site of the harvest, licensed hunters will need to validate prior to moving the animal. This can be done through:
• The mobile app, MN DNR Licensing (site validation/harvest registration)
• By hand on a printed site validation, provided by a license retailer or printed at home
If you choose to do the latter, just keep your printed site validation on your person as you transport your harvest.
Remember to complete the process by registering your harvest either online, through the app, or at participating license retailer within the required timeframe.
If you were offline during your mobile site validation/harvest registration, simply re-open your app when you're back in service to submit your information.
Learn more about the new system, including answers to frequently asked questions, here: mndnr.gov/rlp/els.html