The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced that additional deer hunting opportunities will be available this fall because numbers continue to rebound across the state and now many areas have populations at or above goal levels.
Those increased deer hunting opportunities will apply to Cook County (zone 126) deer hunters as well.
Lottery Deer Areas—all firearm and muzzleloader hunters age 18 and older must apply for and receive an either-sex permit if they want to harvest an antlerless deer in a lottery deer area, except residents of Minnesota State Veterans’ Homes or age 84 and older. A hunter can apply using both a firearm and muzzleloader license. The application deadline is Thursday, September 6.
Information regarding permit allocations is on the 2018 Deer Season Area Map.
Leftover either-sex deer permits will be available first come, first served beginning at 5 p.m. on October 1. Leftover permits are available to any hunter who has a valid license but has not been selected.
“Deer populations have responded well to favorable winter weather and our generally conservative harvest levels in recent years,” said Erik Thorson, acting big game program leader for the DNR. “So we have been able to expand hunting opportunities once again in much of the state in order to reduce populations or stabilize growth.”
Mandatory testing for chronic wasting disease (CWD) continues this year: in the disease management zone (deer permit area 603) during all deer seasons; in most permit areas in southeastern Minnesota during the first two days of both the A (Nov. 3 and 4) and 3B (Nov. 17 and 18) firearm seasons; and in several deer permit areas in Crow Wing and Meeker county areas in north-central and central Minnesota during the first two days of the A firearms season.
Hunters can buy deer licenses and apply to the lottery for antlerless deer permits beginning Wednesday, Aug. 1. The deadline to apply for the antlerless permit lottery is Thursday, Sept. 6. Archery deer season opens Saturday, Sept. 15, and firearms deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 3.
“As part of our new statewide Whitetailed Deer Management Plan, we are scheduling local meetings across the state for citizens, including hunters, to come and discuss deer hunting regulations and management with area DNR wildlife managers,” Thorson said.
The regulations for each of Minnesota’s deer permit areas are set to manage populations toward goals established for each area. These goals are based on information from the DNR and local citizens through a periodic public goal-setting process.
In just one of the state’s 130 permit areas, only bucks can be hunted. In 39 areas, hunters must be chosen in a lottery to harvest an antlerless deer (down from 48 areas last year). In 36 areas, hunters have the choice of harvesting a doe or a buck (down from 38 areas last year). Bonus permits allowing hunters to harvest more than one deer may be used in 54 permit areas (up from 43 areas last year) and for most special hunts. Four permit areas in southeastern Minnesota will also be open again for an early antlerless only hunt in October.
Buying a license
Hunters who purchase a license by Sept. 6 are automatically entered into the lottery for an antlerless permit. Those who do not wish to harvest an antlerless deer are encouraged to purchase their license after the lottery deadline.
Hunters may apply using both their firearm and muzzleloader licenses. If a hunter is selected for both licenses, only one antlerless deer can be taken.
Deer hunting licenses, lottery applications and special hunt applications are available at any DNR license agent, by telephone at 888-646-6367 or online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense. Lottery winners will be notified in October.
Permit area changes
Changes to permit area boundaries made last year remain in effect this year. In southeastern Minnesota, portions of permit areas 347 and 348 were merged to form permit area 603 when CWD was detected. In northeastern Minnesota’s moose range, all or some of permit areas 122, 127, 176, 178, 180 and 181 from 2016 were realigned to form permit areas 130, 131, 132 and 133.
Leave a Reply