“This is our first step toward launching an online application that delivers useful information hunters need and want”, said Steve Merchant, the DNR’s wildlife populations and programs manager.
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“We’ve issued a conservative number of antlerless deer permits, and because of this, many hunters are seeing deer they can’t shoot”, he added. “However, patience this year should translate to more harvest opportunities in the future”.
On the opening weekend, the number of bucks killed rose by 8.5 percent over previous year.
The first weekend of Minnesota’s gun-deer season produced a harvest that was up about 6.3 percent compared with the same period previous year. That would be up from just more than 139,000 previous year.
For much fo the state, the deer season continues through this Sunday.
Through Friday, 419,035 firearms deer hunting licenses had been sold in Minnesota.
So far, though, deer seem to be moving more before and after shooting hours than during the day, he said, making it tough for hunters.
Archery season continues until December 31. A muzzleloader hunt runs November 28-Dec. 13.
Total harvest numbers for the season will be available in January.
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Last year, the firearms deer harvest was about 140,000, the lowest since the early 1980s. The DNR’s deer research biologist and deer modeler consider the numbers, and then meet with wildlife managers in March.
