Minnesota Deer Population Strong Ahead of Firearms Opener
UNDATED -- Nearly 500,000 hunters will take to the woods and the farm fields this weekend for the start of the Minnesota firearms deer hunting season.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says there will be good opportunities for hunters to harvest deer in almost every region of the state this year.
In the central region, deer populations are robust to well-above goal levels. Many permit areas are allowing hunters up to three deer this season. Much of the region remains dry which will improve hunter access and most of the crop harvest has been completed.
In the northwest, deer populations are stable and generally in good shape.
Hunters in southern Minnesota should find strong deer populations and the fawn production was good.
The northeastern region of the state will have conservative bag limits to give the deer population a chance to grow more in areas where their numbers are still below the population goals.
The firearms season gets underway 30-minutes before sunrise Saturday.
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