Deer harvest to rank among Minnesota’s top five (December 4, 2007)

Minnesota hunters are expected to harvest more than 250,000 deer in 2007, according to preliminary estimates from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The projected 2007 harvest is below the 2003 record harvest of 290,000, but still among the top five harvests in Minnesota.

To date, a total of 234,000 deer have been registered electronically. The last firearm season closed Nov. 25, but the muzzleloader season is open until Dec. 9 and archery hunting continues until Dec. 31. Final results of the deer harvest will be available in mid-January.

“All things considered, the deer season went well,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator. “There will be some slight reductions in archery harvest, most likely due to a lot of rain this fall. Also, muzzleloader hunters will be less successful in lottery deer areas because of the change in how antlerless permits were allocated.”

Overall, Minnesota’s deer harvest is down 4 percent from 2006, but that year’s deer harvest was the second highest ever recorded in Minnesota.