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Minnesota Deer Forecast: A Mild Winter Sets Up Hunters for Hot Action in the Land of 10,000 Lakes

With a downward trend in bag limits, hunters are optimistic conservation efforts will help to turn it around.

Minnesota Deer Forecast: A Mild Winter Sets Up Hunters for Hot Action in the Land of 10,000 Lakes
Minnesota experienced mild winters the last two years, which should translate to good harvest numbers this year. (Shutterstock)
  • This whitetail hunting forecast for the state of Minnesota is part of Game & Fish’s “Great States" project identifying the best deer-hunting states in the country. Read more: America's Top Whitetail States

Minnesota Hunters Should Be Happy This Season

Minnesota’s 2024 deer hunting season is on track for increased numbers thanks partly to the mild winters the state experienced in 2022 and 2023. Deer populations are on the rise with declining predation by wolves, which ultimately led to higher numbers of fawns surviving their most vulnerable stages post-birth. Wanting to rebuild the state’s deer population, regulations remain conservative as we see fewer antlerless permits issued, with hopes this will be temporary as the years go on. Hoping for another mild winter this year, hunters may expect to see larger bucks, an increase in rack size and more deer sightings overall.

While deer season does not stretch into January like many other states, Minnesota offers plenty of hunting opportunities. Different seasons are offered for archery, firearm (series 100, 200, 300), muzzleloader, metro deer management zone, youth statewide and more. The start of deer season begins in mid-September with archery season and wraps up in the latter half of December with a late CWD season hunt. Throughout the 2023 season, hunters harvested more than 158,600 deer. While these numbers are trending downwards over the past five years, hunters remain optimistic that needed steps are being taken to turn the trend upwards.

DID YOU KNOW?

LAND PROCUREMENT

The Minnesota Forest Legacy Program secured over 250,000 acres of managed forest land for hunting, fishing and trapping.

Between the seasons available to hunters, approximately 446,213 people participated throughout the fall. With harvest numbers totaling 158,678, hunters averaged a 32 percent success rate. It will be interesting to see how the conservation efforts being enacted will serve to grow these numbers in years to come.

Weather plays an integral role in deer behavior and movement. As the months pass, rainfall and snowfall levels steadily rise, and the average temperatures continue to decline. By December, snowfall averages around 10 inches, marking the start of the winter season and often slowing the movement of deer herds across the state.

gaf-minnesota-2-shutterstock
This season, we continue to see conservative limits placed on the deer you are permitted to harvest. (Shutterstock)

This season, we continue to see conservative limits placed on the deer you are permitted to harvest.  Each permit area has its own designated limit, created specifically to help balance deer populations, as well as to help increase herd size in areas where the population has been trending on the low side. Some areas allow for a one-deer limit with bucks only, while other areas require an antlerless permit lottery to harvest antlerless deer. Additional zones allow for one deer of either sex while other zones offer more generous limits, with two or three deer with another that allows for up to five deer.

The Minnesota Forest Legacy Program secured over 250,000 acres of managed forest land to ensure public land access for hunting for generations to come. Stretching across several counties, this land offers hunting opportunities as well as fishing, trapping, hiking and more. Private access points, maps, regulations and more can be found and printed on Minnesota’s DNR website.

THAT'S A FACT

PUBLIC ACCESS

Minnesota is second in the nation in public accessible hunting land with 9,500,00 acres.

Whether anecdotal evidence is sure to guide you this season, deer are almost always more active at dawn and dusk. Phases like a full moon will bring about more nocturnal activity amongst the herd, while new moons prompt daylight movements and feeding.  Conversely, the new moons for this season will be October 2, October 31 and November 30.





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