Minnesota hunters are now able to purchase 2011 deer licenses and the state’s hunting regulation booklet is available online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense.

Booklets will be available in mid-August.

This year’s archery season opens Sept. 17. The general firearms season opens Nov. 5. The deadline for lottery permit applications is Sept. 8.

“We’re looking forward to another good season,” said Lou Cornicelli, big game program coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Deer populations are at or near goals throughout much of the state.”

Cornicelli said hunters will discover several new regulations for the upcoming deer season. The changes, he said, reflect the agency’s interest in regulation simplification and the protection of the state’s deer from chronic wasting disease.

 Larry Petersen, assistant area manager with the International Falls DNR Wildlife Office, said none of the changes will really impact those who hunt in Borderland this year.

Petersen noted that Permit areas 103, 108, and 119 are all in the lottery category, which requires adults to possess an either-sex permit.

He said the regular firearm or muzzleloader season adult (age 18 and older) hunters who may want to harvest an antlerless deer in these areas have to apply for this permit by Sept. 8. Youth (less than 18 years old) hunters may kill antlerless deer in these areas without an either-sex permit. Youths should not apply for these permits.

“All this is the same as last year,” he said.

Elsewhere in the state there are areas with an additional category called hunter choice. Permit areas with this designation allow a hunter to take one deer of either sex in one of these areas. 

 Petersen said the only change that may apply locally is the lifting of the permanent stand height restriction. The 16 foot limit no longer applies. 

“Those who plan on hunting other parts of the state should reference the regulation booklet,” he advised.

 

Significant changes

for 2011

• A new CWD management area, called Deer Area 602, has been established in southeastern Minnesota surrounding the area where a CWD positive deer was detected last fall. The new CWD management area will feature a 23-day firearm season. Submission of samples for CWD testing will be mandatory for deer harvested in this area, and there will be carcass import/export restrictions. Detailed information can be found in the regulations book and on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/cwd.

• A new “hunter choice” deer management designation has been established that will allow hunters in certain areas to take one either-sex deer per year in one of these areas. These areas function like lottery areas, with the difference being hunters do not need to make a lottery application or possess an either sex permit to take an antlerless deer. In hunter choice areas, the license is automatically valid for an either-sex deer.

• Bonus permits are not allowed. If a deer is taken in one hunter choice area, a hunter cannot take another deer in another hunter choice or lottery deer area. The designation was created because the majority of deer permit areas are within their established goal ranges, and DNR managers believe one either-sex deer without a lottery would allow those areas to stay within goal without going back and forth between lottery and managed areas. Hunter choice was not created to increase antlerless harvest rates, but rather to make it simpler to take one either-sex deer in the area. Overall, 30 percent of Minnesota’s 127 deer permit areas are designated hunter choice this year.

The DNR still uses the lottery in areas where antlerless deer harvest is restricted and managed and intensive harvest designations when additional antlerless deer harvest is needed. This year, 27 percent are managed and 17 percent are intensive areas.

 

Firearm, muzzleloader

lottery either sex permits

Hunters may once again apply for either-sex or special hunt permits in both the firearm and muzzleloader seasons. In a change from previous years, hunters successful in the lottery can use their permit in either the firearm or muzzleloader season, provided they have a valid license for that season. The deadline for lottery and special hunt applications is Sept. 8.

Although a hunter can be selected for both licenses, successful applicants still can only take one deer. In the case of special hunts, a person may draw both a firearm and muzzleloader permit, in which case they must adhere to the bag limits established by each special hunt.

This year’s lottery deer areas are: 103, 108, 119, 234, 235, 237, 238, 250, 251, 252, 253, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 288, 289, 290, 291, 294, 295, 296 and 299.

 

Other changes

Because deer herds are largely within goals, there will be no early antlerless deer season this year, and no youth-only antlerless areas available this year. The DNR will continue to monitor harvest and population size, and may use these designations in the future. Also, the 16-foot height restriction for permanent deer stands has been eliminated.

Cornicelli urged hunters to familiarize themselves with 2011 regulations before the hunting season begins. Due to delays created by the state shutdown, the hunting regulations booklet will not be available until mid-August wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold, but hunters may access an online version of the regulations at www.mndnr.gov/regulations/hunting.

Deer hunters are also encouraged to review new deer hunting regulations, permit area designations and boundary changes before the Sept. 8 application deadline for either-sex deer permits in lottery areas, and for all special hunts.

Additional information about the 2011 deer season can be found at www.mndnr.gov/deer.