08-16-2004, 06:28 PM
While last year's record kill helped hold Minnesota's deer numbers in check, the population remains high thanks to abundant habitat, readily available food and another relatively mild winter.
Statewide, deer populations have been reduced locally by the advent of over-the-counter antlerless permits.
"We observed increases in the percentage of antlerless harvest in managed and intensive permit areas," said Lou Cornicelli, big game program coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in St. Paul. "In some areas, as many as two-thirds of all harvested deer were antlerless."
In those permit areas, deer populations were either stabilized or reduced; however, in lottery permit areas, the intent is generally not to decrease deer populations. Additionally, research biologists recently refined the deer model so previous estimates are not directly comparable to previous years. Using the new model, the statewide deer population is estimated at 1.2 million deer.
The firearms deer season will open Nov. 6, archery deer season will begin Sept. 18, and muzzleloader deer season will start Nov. 27. Info: [url "http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/"]www.dnr.state.mn.us[/url]
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Statewide, deer populations have been reduced locally by the advent of over-the-counter antlerless permits.
"We observed increases in the percentage of antlerless harvest in managed and intensive permit areas," said Lou Cornicelli, big game program coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in St. Paul. "In some areas, as many as two-thirds of all harvested deer were antlerless."
In those permit areas, deer populations were either stabilized or reduced; however, in lottery permit areas, the intent is generally not to decrease deer populations. Additionally, research biologists recently refined the deer model so previous estimates are not directly comparable to previous years. Using the new model, the statewide deer population is estimated at 1.2 million deer.
The firearms deer season will open Nov. 6, archery deer season will begin Sept. 18, and muzzleloader deer season will start Nov. 27. Info: [url "http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/"]www.dnr.state.mn.us[/url]
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