Minnesota Deer Population Goals

Comments on proposed deer population goals recommended by citizen advisory teams in 40 of Minnesota’s 128 deer permit areas are being accepted through Wednesday, April 15.

Specific population goal recommendations are posted online, along with the factors advisory team members cited when making recommendations. People should review this supporting information online before submitting comments. Full details are available at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website at www.mndnr.gov/deer.

Revisiting deer population goals began in 2012, when similar area teams helped set new goals for some permit areas in the Windom, Floodwood and Tower areas. Last year, new goals were set for southeastern Minnesota. The DNR plans to have new goals in place for all Minnesota deer permit areas before the 2016 firearms deer season.

Teams set recommendations

In 2015, the DNR is revisiting deer population goals in 40 permit areas in northeast, north-central and east-central Minnesota.

Public comment on deer population goals was accepted between Jan. 29 and Feb. 20 via email, U.S. postal mail, online and written questionnaires and verbal comments provided at public meetings in each goal-setting block. More than 1,650 comments were received.

In February and March, citizen advisory teams met to review background information (including biological and social data) as well as all of the public input received in their block. Advisory teams then made recommendations to DNR about deer population goals in each of the permit areas in their block.

More information on the process is available on the DNR’s deer management Web page at www.mndnr.gov/deer.