2008 Deer Harvest-DNR Posting

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Minnesota hunters harvest fewer deer in 2008 (January 27, 2009)

Minnesota deer hunters harvested nearly 222,000 deer in 2008. This is a decline of 38,000, or about 19 percent, from 2007, but the ninth consecutive year the harvest has exceeded 200,000.

“Bad weather opening weekend, lower deer populations in many permit areas and more lottery areas all had a role in the lower harvest,” said Dennis Simon, wildlife section chief for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “Still, hunters found success and we were able to lower deer populations in some areas.”

Overall, the statewide firearm harvest was down 15 percent from last year. The archery harvest was down 7 percent and the muzzleloader harvest down 25 percent. Firearms hunters harvested 190,100 deer, archery hunters 22,550 and muzzleloader hunters 9,300. Hunters who participated in the early antlerless season, which was expanded to 30 areas in 2008, tagged 5,250 deer.

Despite the decrease from 2007’s harvest total of 260,604 and the lowest total harvest level in five years, 2008 ranked as the eighth-highest Minnesota deer harvest ever recorded.

“The majority of our deer harvest comes during the first weekend of firearms season,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator. “When the weather is bad like it was, we never fully make up the difference the next weekend.”

Deer populations in many permit areas also were lower than previous years, which is a direct result of aggressive antlerless deer management.

“In many deer areas, we’ve allowed hunters to take up to five deer each, which by design has likely lowered populations toward our established goals,” Cornicelli said.

Final population estimates will be completed after the winter ends and the DNR will re-evaluate populations relative to established goals. Additional significant winter weather in some parts of Minnesota this year could reduce deer populations in some areas.

“Many hunters will see lower bag limits and, in some cases, placement of their hunting area into lottery designation,” Cornicelli said. “It’s important that hunters pay close attention to the hunting synopsis when it comes out in late July.”

Looking ahead to the 2009 season, the deadline for the either-sex permit application is Thursday, Sept. 3. Archery deer hunting will begin Sept. 19 and the early antlerless deer season will be the weekend of Oct. 10.  The statewide firearms deer hunting season will open on Nov. 7 and the muzzleloader season will open Nov. 28.

[Grute Man]

That number sounds inflated to me.  I know of one person who will say they had a season close to as good as normal and that's Deadeye.  Other than him, I do not know anyone who did what they call "good" this last season. 

[22lex]

I'm with you Grute, we are supposed to have a huge number of animals down here also, but two registration stations said they were about 25-30 percent short from last year.

[kingfisher1]

It was the same way in Wisconsin.  They said the harvest was down 30% compared to the last few years, yet my father and I had one of the best years of hunting ever.  I was able to harvest 5 and my father harvested 3.

[jd mn/nd]

I can't complain about this past season, we did just as well as last season we go our 4 deer for the two of us. I do know that the neighbors were all complaining, I heard of groups of 18 to 21 guys and they only got 4 to 6 deer for that many guys, all in the same general area where we hunt at. But I did notice that they did not spend as much time on the stand as we do and they never hunted in the middle of the day which is when 3 of our 4 deer were harvested, the three deer were taken from 11:00am to 3:30pm and the one deer what was taken at 9:30am. So we never had one during what would be considered normal movement times. There were alot of other contributing factors like thousands of acres of standing corn that were not normally still up at that time last year either. That corn sure gives those deer alot more hiding space, other than just the standard swamps and woods. I never once saw a single group of people push the corn fields this year. Just my two bits on subject.

Later JD

[Cody Gruchow]

deer numbers were not down so much here, but the size was considerably down. the bucks werent as big and the does were the same way. also crops were up threw much of the season.

[Go Big Red!]

Our MN gun deer numbers have gone down significantly in the past few years.  That has now been followed up by a poor WI gun deer hunt this year.  I saw 2 in WI opening morning and never saw one after that.  I usually see deer running around like crazy.

[jkcmj]

Great year for us on our side of the creek(Mississippi), but over in Buffalo County WI I hunted with my brothers and did poorly.  Very few deer seen this year, and harvest totals were way down around our farm.  Little buck activity on our cameras,although we did see a few 2 year olds that should start shaping up.