DNR announces 2007 deer season changes

[JohnWester]

Incase you missed it from our front page DNR news feed...

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is changing the all-season deer license to reduce the harvest of antlerless deer in certain areas of the state.

Other changes for the upcoming season include simplification of deer bag limits, expanded early antlerless deer hunting, a bovine tuberculosis (TB) disease management area in the northwest, some permit area boundary changes, an opportunity to purchase leftover lottery permits, and expanded archery and muzzleloader seasons in the Arrowhead region.

For the first time, all-season license holders hunting in lottery areas during the late muzzleloader season will need antlerless permits to take antlerless deer.

In 2006, more than 75,000 Minnesota deer hunters purchased an all-season deer license, which allows hunters to take up to three deer during the archery, regular firearms, and muzzleloader seasons. The rapid increase in popularity of the all-season license and its use during the muzzleloader season has led to tremendous increases in unregulated antlerless deer harvest. In lottery areas where antlerless deer harvest must be closely managed, this additional unregulated antlerless harvest is pushing populations below goal levels.

"While deer populations throughout much of Minnesota are at historic highs, we are seeing declines in some farmland areas despite the lottery system and reductions in firearm either-sex permits," said Lou Cornicelli, big game program coordinator. "As an agency, we've promoted the all-season license and fully support the flexibility it gives our hunters. However, in some areas of the state we are seeing harvest rates on antlerless deer that just can't be sustained."

Consequently, the DNR will adopt regulations that limit the number and type of deer all-season license holders can take. Cornicelli added,

"The alternative in lottery areas would have been bucks only for all hunters and given our emphasis on youth recruitment, we are trying to avoid that situation." A bucks-only regulation would curtail all antlerless harvest for everyone hunting in the area, including youth. Bringing the bulk of the antlerless deer harvest back under the control of a lottery permitting system is also a less restrictive way to accomplish management goals than bucks-only hunting.

This year, all-season license holders who hunt in lottery areas during either the regular firearms or the muzzleloader season must apply for an either-sex permit by Sept. 6 if they wish to harvest an antlerless deer in either season. Successful applicants can use the permit to take an antlerless deer during any of the open seasons. Unsuccessful all-season license holder applicants and those who purchase their all-season license after the application deadline will be restricted to bucks only during the firearm and muzzleloader seasons within lottery areas.

Hunters who purchase the regular muzzleloader season license (license code 212-ML) can still take a deer of either-sex without participating in the lottery. Cornicelli added, "regular muzzleloader hunters account for a very small percentage of overall antlerless harvest and at this time do not need to be included in the lottery. However, we will be closely monitoring all antlerless harvest and may need to impose further restrictions in lottery areas in the future if these measures are unsuccessful."

The regulation should result in improved management of antlerless deer taken in lottery areas and lead to increases in the deer population in those areas. All-season hunters can still take an antlerless deer during the archery season without applying; however, the total bag limit is one deer per year in lottery areas.

The following additional changes begin to take effect with the Sept. 15 opening of archery deer hunting. Firearms deer hunting begins statewide on Nov. 3 and the muzzleloader season starts Nov. 24.

BAG LIMITS

Minnesota has three tiers for managing deer areas: lottery, managed, and intensive. This year, the bag limits have been simplified and there will be no deviations based on license types. In lottery areas, the bag limit will be one deer per year, managed areas will have a bag limit of two, and intensive areas will have a bag limit of five. These bag limits are the total allowed per individual hunter per year, and apply regardless of the season or method of take - whether by regular firearms, muzzleloader or archery.

MUZZLELOADER SEASON

All-season license holders will need to apply by Sept. 6 if they wish to take an antlerless deer during the muzzleloader season. However, regular muzzleloader hunters (license code 212-ML) will not need to apply because their license will remain either sex. The two license types are being differentiated because hunters licensed for just the muzzleloader season kill only one-tenth of the deer that are taken by all-season hunters in the muzzleloader season. Limiting the type of deer that could be taken by regular muzzleloader license holders would not result in significantly decreased antlerless deer harvest rates, so they will not be included in the lottery process at this time.

LEFTOVER LOTTERY PERMITS

In some areas there are leftover lottery permits after the drawing. This year, remaining permits will be available for purchase at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 15 to all hunters. The permits will be available on a first come, first served basis. Hunters will need to have a valid license or purchase one at the time.

NEW BOVINE TB AREA, SEASON AND ANTERLESS PERMIT

For 2007, a new deer area (area 101) has been created in northwest Minnesota based on the proximity of deer identified with bovine TB. The boundary is defined by roads and inclusive of all bovine TB positive animals identified to date. The area will be in the Zone 1 season framework (16 days) and will also be included in the two day early antlerless season. A special antlerless permit, valid in the bovine TB area, will also be available. This disease management permit will be antlerless only and available for the cost of issuance ($2.50). An unlimited number of deer can be taken in this area but hunters are limited to the statewide regulation of one buck per year.

All deer taken in the area must be registered prior to leaving the area. Additional information will be in the 2007 hunting synopsis and a map will be posted on the DNR Web site.

DEER AREA BOUNDARY CHANGES

Boundaries of some deer areas in northwestern Minnesota have been changed. The change does not affect hunting opportunity because all the areas will remain in Zone 2. These changes were made to better align the areas with habitat type and deer management objectives. The changed areas have been renumbered so prior to buying a license, hunters are advised to consult the map so they know which number to indicate.

EARLY ANTERLESS FIREARM DEER SEASON

This year, the early antlerless season has been expanded to include 22 deer areas (up from eight). The two-day October antlerless only firearms hunt will be open in deer areas 101 (except Hayes Lake State Park), 105, 157, 184 (except the Bemidji State Game Refuge), 209, 210, 214, 221, 222, 225, 227, 236, 241 243, 244, 256, 257, 260, 261, 265, 346, 349, and 601. The hunt will be held Oct. 13-14.

Hunters need a valid firearms license for the zone and may purchase up to two early antlerless deer permits for use only during the special antlerless season. Two deer may be taken in the special antlerless season and are in addition to the statewide bag limit of five. The price of the early antlerless permit is $6.50 (plus a $1 issuing fee). Last year, 6,300 hunters harvested 2,300 antlerless deer in eight early antlerless deer areas.

METRO DEER ZONE

Deer areas 228 and 337 have been combined and renumbered as deer area 601, also known as the Metro Deer Zone. Like last year, any deer license is valid in this area. Hunters who typically purchase a Zone 2 license for deer area 228 should continue to buy a Zone 2 license. They would simply indicate 601 as the permit area hunted most often.

Similarly, hunters who traditionally purchased either a Zone 3A or 3B license to hunt area 337 should continue to purchase their traditional license and indicate 601 as their primary deer area.

ARROWHEAD DEER HUNTING

This year, deer areas 116, 126, and 127 will be open to late season archery and muzzleloader hunting. Previously, these areas have been closed before the end of the statewide seasons to protect wintering deer.

The results of DNR's deer population goal setting project indicated an interest in reducing these deer populations below current levels. DNR will continue to use hunting as the primary tool to manage deer populations within goal ranges. Putting these areas into the statewide archery and muzzleloader season framework should result in additional deer harvest and increases in local hunting opportunity.

This year's deer regulation changes, which primarily affect hunters whose licenses allow the most hunting opportunity, are part of an effort to manage deer within goal population levels that have been established through an extensive public process. Long-term, the DNR aims to simplify deer hunting regulations. This year's bag limit change is an example of simplifying regulations based on the type of deer management area.

"For hunters, this year's changes mean more opportunity to harvest antlerless deer in some areas, such as the early antlerless hunting season, and some restrictions on antlerless harvest in other areas, such as lottery areas," Cornicelli said. "Across Minnesota, hunting is the primary tool for managing deer population. Regulation changes and refinements allow for varying hunting opportunities and sustainable deer populations."

All of the changes will be in the 2007 hunting synopsis, which will be available at all 1,800 businesses that sell hunting and fishing licenses across Minnesota.

[iceman]

cool thanks big fish..