Douglas County forum: residents urge allowing rifles for deer hunting; commissioners take no action

A packed public forum at the Douglas County Administration Building in February 2026 saw residents, township representatives and firearms instructors urge the Douglas County Board of Commissioners to allow rifles for deer hunting countywide after the Minnesota Legislature amended state law to give local governments discretion over firearm regulation.

The board chair opened the meeting by saying the forum was only to gather comment and that "there will not be any decisions made by the board tonight. We're just here to listen," and reviewed speaker rules including a three-minute limit and an online streaming notice.

Speakers who identified themselves as hunters, law-enforcement firearms instructors and township officials largely favored switching to a rifle-friendly policy. Brad Lake, a retired Douglas County deputy and former chief deputy, said the county’s shotgun-zone map dated to 1942 and was created for wildlife management rather than public-safety reasons and concluded, "Let's make Douglas County a rifle zone once again." Daryl Giese, a current patrol deputy with long firearms-training experience, told commissioners that rifles with magnified optics improve target identification and typically allow "one shot, one kill," which he described as more humane for the animal and safer for hunters.

Several speakers cited research and cross-jurisdictional examples. Kevin Mason, who said he was presenting a Brown County researcher’s analysis of Minnesota DNR data from 2002–2024, said the study found "shotgun hunters exhibit a 34% higher overall incident rate than rifle hunters" and that shotgun hunters were "2.76 times more likely to injure another hunter than rifle hunters." Mark Norrie, president of a local MDHA chapter, and other speakers referenced Wisconsin's experience after moving to statewide rifle seasons, saying accident rates there dropped.

Opponents and cautionary voices raised enforcement and youth-safety concerns. Winston Osekis, speaking for the Douglas County Association of Townships, asked the board to wait for township annual meetings in March so townships could consult constituents; Garrett Streitz, who operates a local firearms business and shooting park, warned that local law enforcement (the sheriff or police) would be responsible for enforcing any local ordinance and that enforcement could divert resources. Eric Teasing urged deference to the DNR’s state-level decision and questioned whether the county should change the rule.

Speakers also raised pragmatic issues for hunters and families: several described the logistical burden of owning both rifles and slug-capable shotguns, the potential to retain youth participation if rifles are permitted, and the need to coordinate zone lines with neighboring counties to avoid confusing boundaries. The chair noted pre-forum email input tallying 23 messages in favor of eliminating the shotgun zone and six in favor of keeping it.

No ordinance, motion or vote occurred at the forum. The chair closed by thanking the audience and reiterating that commissioners will consider written comments and public testimony at a future regular meeting; attendees were invited to follow up at township meetings and the county association meeting in March.

The county did not specify a timetable for formal consideration or the precise criteria it will use when weighing an ordinance; commissioners said they were collecting input to inform later action.