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More than 400,000 deer hunters are preparing for the firearms deer season that opens Saturday, Nov. 9. The season offers opportunities to spend time outdoors with friends and family, find adventure and put venison in the freezer.
Deer hunting is the primary tool used to manage deer populations, and hunters help keep deer numbers in line with population goals across the state. Managing deer populations contributes to the overall health of Minnesota’s landscapes, natural systems and economy.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ wildlife staff report that there should be good opportunities to harvest deer in most areas.
Northeast deer report
Despite a mild 2023-24 winter, deer populations in the northeast region of Minnesota are still low and will take multiple years to recover from several severe winters in prior years.
The best deer harvest opportunities in the northeast part of the state will be in the southern portion of this region, where deer numbers are higher.
In addition, the highest deer numbers are expected in areas of mixed habitat of open fields and forest. Scouting for local pockets of deer will improve hunter success. Hunters in far northern areas will again have fewer opportunities to harvest antlerless deer, and in some areas hunters will only be allowed to harvest bucks. This will give local deer populations in these northern areas a chance to grow where their numbers are below goals established through the public deer population goal setting process.
To help inform consideration of a proposed elk restoration project, new mandatory CWD surveillance sampling will be implemented on opening weekend of firearms A season in DPAs 156, 173, 181 and 199 as a precautionary measure within the potential elk restoration area.
