Deer hunting should be good when Minnesota’s firearms hunting season opens Nov. 3, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

“Minnesota’s deer population is up from last year, in part, because of the mild winter,” said Lou Cornicelli, the DNR’s wildlife research manager. “Mild winters result in more survival of adults, more fawns being born, and more deer in the state’s fields and forests the following hunting season.” He estimated the deer population at about 1 million. 

Cornicelli said one difference between this and last year is there are fewer areas where hunters can harvest more than one deer. This change, he said, reflects the agency’s interest in rebuilding or maintaining the deer herd in certain portions of the state by managing the harvest.

“Hunters in about half of the state had to apply for a limited number of antlerless permits,” said Cornicelli. “Moreover, there are fewer places where hunters can take two or more deer.” These harvest reduction changes, he said, were implemented based on hunter input and also addressing the interests of private landowners, agricultural growers, automobile drivers and others. They also reflect the fact that antlerless and bonus deer permit availability decreases as overly abundant populations are brought into line with agency goals.    

Last year, Minnesota’s nearly 500,000 deer hunters harvested 192,300 deer.

Minnesota’s deer harvest has varied widely over the past half-century. In a historical context, too many deer were taken during the 1960s, forcing the closure of the deer season in 1971 and a rebuilding of the deer herd through the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s. The highest deer harvest occurred in 2003 when 270,000 deer were taken as part of an effort to reduce the deer herd. Today, the DNR manages the deer population based on goals established with public input.

“The state’s deer population has gone from too low to too high to fairly close to what people are willing to accept,” said Cornicelli. “I don’t envision spectacularly high or low harvests in the years ahead but rather moderate harvests  . . .  harvests that reflect the herd being managed responsibly and responsively.” Cornicelli said deer hunters play an important role in deer management by helping control deer numbers.  

The firearms deer season concludes in the northern Minnesota on Sunday, Nov. 18, and Sunday, Nov. 11, in all other parts of the state.

 

Northeastern Region 

outlook

DNR wildlife managers in northeastern Minnesota are expecting a good deer season in 2012.  Harvest regulations generally are more conservative than in the recent past. Following public input into deer population goals, harvest changes were implemented that will allow the deer population to grow in most of the permit areas in this region.

The likely result for hunters is that more permit areas will have a lottery or hunter choice designation in 2012. The 2012 harvest is projected to be less than that of 2011 because of these restrictions but hunters should expect to see good numbers of young deer.

Larry Petersen, DNR area wildlife manager in International Falls, said three or four average to worse than average winters, followed by last year’s very mild winter which resulted in good deer survival, have resulted in a slightly depressed deer population in Borderland.

Peterson said Permit Area 108 is at a lower level but the same as in the last three years for antlerless permits, and antlerless permits in Permit Area 103 have been decreased.

“Otherwise it’s pretty much the same as in year’s past, with a lower number of permits and that’s in response to lower deer populations and lower goals,” said Petersen. “The way we adjust the deer population is to adjust the antlerless kill.”

Petersen said hunters should be aware of a new definition of baiting. In the past, he said, mineral blocks have been legal, but now blocks that contain food supplements will be illegal.

“So one really has to look at the ingredients,” he cautioned.

Petersen, an avid hunter, said he’ll be hunting on opening morning, and said he hopes the weather conditions are mild.

 

Northwestern Region 

outlook

The northwest region expects a good deer hunting season in 2012, barring any adverse weather conditions. This past winter was extremely mild, which resulted in good deer survival and production.

Deer populations in most permit areas are at or near goal densities. To maintain populations or increase them to goal densities, most permit area designations have dropped one level from 2011. Hunter choice areas becoming lottery areas and managed areas becoming hunter choice areas are expected to lower the overall deer harvest from last year although the buck harvest likely will be higher.

DNR will again sample hunter-harvested deer in the bovine tuberculosis management area but at a reduced effort from prior years. Samples will be collected Nov. 3-11 at six registration stations. If no deer test positive, this will mark the third consecutive year of no positives and will be the last year of sampling for bovine TB.

Conditions are very dry this year so hunters should generally find easier access to hunting areas compared to past years. In addition, the crop harvest is well ahead of normal, meaning there will be less cover available for deer as compared to most openers.