Nearly half a million firearms deer hunters are preparing for the season that opens Saturday, Nov. 9, and offers opportunity to spend time with friends and family, find adventure outdoors and put venison in the freezer.
Hunters help keep deer populations in line with population goals across the state, and wildlife managers report good opportunities to harvest deer. But they also caution hunters that scouting could be more important this year due to wet access and habitat conditions over the spring and summer.
Hunters need to know the boundaries of the deer permit areas and any chronic wasting disease (CWD) zones where they hunt. Detailed information about each permit area and CWD zone can be found on the DNR’s interactive deer map at mndnr.gov/deermap. Additional information about CWD zones and sampling requirements can be found at mndnr.gov/ cwd.
Northeast deer report
Angela Aarhus-Ward, northeast region wildlife manager
In the northeast region, the permit area designation map shows more lottery deer areas compared to last year and fewer antlerless permits for areas that were lottery last year. This represents a more conservative antlerless deer harvest strategy designed to provide hunting opportunities, while helping populations to grow and stabilize around previously established deer population goals for those permit areas.
The more conservative strategy is a result of lingering concerns over the effect of last winter on deer survival and fawn production. The DNR recorded elevated winter severity due to deep snow and prolonged winter conditions that lasted well into April, particularly in the northeastern part of the region where winter conditions were the most severe.
To the south, where winter was much milder, management designations stayed largely unchanged from 2018, allowing for more hunting opportunity in an effort to stabilize and in some cases further reduce local deer populations to goal levels.
New this year
In the middle of the state near Brainerd, disease management zone 604 contains all of former permit areas 242 and 247 along with parts of 155, 171 and 246. Zone 604 was created after a wild deer tested positive for CWD this past winter. Permit area 604 has unlimited antlerless harvest; mandatory CWD sampling during all deer seasons and carcass movement restrictions in effect. Deer feeding and attractant bans are also in place here.
Rain and wet conditions have persisted throughout much of the fall season. Hunters may find water in areas that are typically dry this time of year and forest road access may be difficult or impassable in some locations.
Leave a Reply