Board votes to exempt county from bill that would allow rifles for deer hunting May 7, 2025 Minnesota, Albert Lea Tribune
... After more than 80 years with the current law in place that restricts the kind of firearms deer hunters can use, the bill would allow people to hunt in any part of the state with any legal firearm, including rifles... people in her district she has talked to, almost all were against expanding deer hunting to rifles, including many farmers...
Winter '24-25 wraps up on the mild side April 24, 2025 Minnesota, The Timberjay
... a second mild winter in a row comes to an end across the North Country ... Despite two mild winters in a row, Holmes said she expects the DNR will remain conservative with its bag limits for this fall’s white-tailed deer hunt. “If we had a highly productive habitat, it would definitely help the recovery,” ..,
Deer farmers seek relief from fencing rules April 3, 2025 Minnesota, The Timberjay
... The regulations were intended to tighten controls to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease ... “The DNR estimated a loss of 39 white-tailed deer farms from 140 in January of 2023 to 101 farms as of February 2024,” the motion stated. “The most recent losses are attributed to recent changes in the law, and the DNR’s recent requirement for an additional exclusionary fence, economically devastating to white-tailed deer farmers.” ...
CWD discovered in Hennepin County deer March 24, 2025 Minnesota, NewsBreak
... found in a male buck in the Greenfield area. This is the first case found in Hennepin County... shot by a hunter ...“If a hunter or a person transported that carcass out of the zone to a new area, threw it out on the landscape to decompose, then those prions which cause CWD can accumulate right there at that site,” ..,
Deer farmers, DNR clash over fence rules intended to curb spread of chronic wasting disease March 24, 2025 Minnesota House of Representatives
... At issue was chronic wasting disease and whether captive, farmed white-tailed deer need to be kept at a distance from their free-range cousins to keep the disease from spreading... HF40 ... would eliminate a provision in a 2023 law requiring deer farmers to put up specially configured fencing to nix the nose nudging...
Minnesota’s moose population remains relatively stable March 14, 2025 DNR News
... The most recent Minnesota moose population estimate is approximately 4,040 animals, according to the results of the Minnesota DNR’s 2025 population survey. Results continue to suggest that after a steep decline from a population estimate of approximately 8,000 in 2009, Minnesota’s moose population appears to have stabilized and has fluctuated around 3,700 animals in recent years.., Read the survey
Late February melt offers more hope for deer rebound February 27, 2025 Minnesota, The Timberjay
...A week of well-above-normal temperatures and an extended forecast showing generally mild conditions through the first week of March, is likely to be good news for the area’s deer population... The area deer herd clearly benefitted from last winter, the mildest ever recorded in Minnesota..,
Reports of wolves killing livestock in Minnesota reach a record high February 26, 2025 Star Tribune
... Minnesota’s wolf population, estimated at 2,900, remained relatively unchanged last year. Wolf numbers here have hovered between 3,200 and 2,200 since the late 1990s. The extremely warm winter in early 2024 likely increased the pressure on cattle from wolves, said Dakota Bird, a district manager and biologist for the USDA’s Wildlife Services. “Snow really slows deer down, and makes it much easier for wolves to catch them,” ..,
State DNR and U of M partner for elk research project beginning in March February 22, 2025 Minnesota, MPR News
... Researchers intend to capture and GPS collar 25 adult cows and around 15 adult bulls per year beginning in early March... "will allow us ... really understand what the population drivers are to help us better manage these herds and the area in which they reside.” ...
Minnesota DNR seeks public input on midpoint review of 10-year deer management plan February 4. 2025 WTIP
...The statewide plan, released in 2018, set goals and priorities covering 15 performance metrics... The midpoint assessment is available for the public to review and provide comments until Friday, Feb. 7. View the Minnesota White-Tailed Deer Management Plan here and access the Minnesota Deer Plan Midpoint Review Questionnaire here...
Deer harvest up nine percent in Northeast MN January 30,2025 Minnesota, The Timberjay
... The region’s harvest was still below the five-year average, but it reflected an improvement over the previous two years, when deer numbers were impacted by back-to-back deep snow winters in the region... Wildlife managers caution it will take more than one mild winter to help deer recover to levels set in current population goals..,
Chronic wasting disease confirmed in wild deer in 2 new Minnesota deer permit areas January 27, 2025 Minnesota, KFGO
... One deer was harvested in DPA 266 near Hawley in Clay County and the other deer was harvested in DPA 701 near Greenfield in Hennepin County. Both deer were harvested during the firearms deer season...
Preliminary 2024 season report shows higher Minnesota deer harvest, DNR says January 22, 2025 Grand Forks Herald
... Hunters in Minnesota shot more than 170,000 deer during the 2024 hunting season, up 7% statewide from the 2023 hunting ... The statewide harvest was 3% lower than the five-year average..,
DNR reassessing ways to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease January 20, 2025 Minnesota, Post-Bulletin
... first found in this region in 2010 when an old doe, shot near Pine Island, tested positive. Sharpshooters were hired ... To be successful, sharpshooters need to have access to 20 to 40 percent of the land, but only about 10 percent of landowners in the three DPAs agreed ..,
Minnesota DNR evaluates progress on deer plan January 7, 2025 Minnesota DNR
... The plan is in effect from 2018-2028. The midpoint review assesses progress toward goals, objectives and strategies ... The documents and a link to the webinar are available on Minnesota DNR website...
Soaring CWD numbers in southeastern Minnesota prompt DNR to stop culling deer January 1, 2025 Minnesota, Star Tribune on MSN
... now that CWD prevalence in the southeast part of the state has doubled in one year, to 5% or more, the benefit of off-season culling is considered too meager to justify the expense... the agency will end its deployment of sharpshooters in all Driftless Area disease management zones ..,
DNR disappointed by first CWD case near Minnesota-South Dakota border December 13, 2024 Minnesota, KFGO
... they’re trying to determine where the deer came from ... Most of the state’s CWD cases have been in southeastern Minnesota..,
MNPRO receives nearly $500,000 to continue chronic wasting disease research December 1, 2024 The Minnesota Daily
... The Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO) received $483,497 in federal funding to continue research on chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer. The grant came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, according to a press release ...
Southeast corner of Minnesota remains chronic wasting disease hotspot November 27, 2024 Minnesota, MPR News
... in Minnesota, that’s the first place that we’ve detected the disease in our wild deer herd.” According to the DNR that was back in 2010, near the portion of Pine Island in Olmstead County, located within 2 miles of an elk farm that experienced an outbreak the prior year...,
What happens to road-killed deer, and does it help stem CWD spread? November 25, 2024 Minnesota, CIDRAP
... chronic wasting disease (CWD) experts view it as a potential reservoir of deadly infectious CWD-causing misfolded proteins called prions, which can persist in the environment for years and pose a risk to other animals... "I don't think any of them are disposed of in approved locations," ... "We request that they don't move carcasses out of areas where they died for reasons of disease spread, especially chronic wasting disease, and we request best disposal methods" ...
Use of Biosecurity Practices to Prevent Chronic Wasting Disease in Minnesota Cervid Herds - Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2024
... Among all producers, 9.6% (95% CI 4.6-14.6) reported farmed cervid escapes in the past 3 years (even temporarily) and 0.7% (95% CI 0.0-2.2) of producers reported wild white-tailed deer (WTD) inside perimeter fencing ... Overall, results identified direct and indirect contact exposures from both farmed and wild cervids to Minnesota herds, with many producers reporting potential contact with wild cervids through direct and multiple indirect pathways...
DNR pulls out all the stops — and workers — for Chronic Wasting Disease testing in Southeast Minnesota November 17, 2024 Minnesota, Post Bulletin
... In this region, as well as a few other parts of the state, all deer shot in the first two days, are required to have lymph nodes taken out of the neck to be tested for CWD, an always fatal disease of deer. Statewide, 279 deer have tested positive for CWD since 2010; another 13 were found in captive herds; most of the wild deer positives came from the Southeast, especially the Preston area..,
Tips and expectations for this deer season November 14, 2024 Minnesota, WDIO
... Last year’s mild winter meant good over-winter survival for deer, but Froberg [Minnesota DNR Big Game Program Coordinator] says it will take more than one mild winter to see the population grow... “I would say that one of the biggest differences from last year is that there’s not a huge acorn crop,” ..,
Saturday marks start of Minnesota's firearm deer season November 8, 2024 CBS News on MSN
... The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says overall, deer numbers are on the rise, especially in the central and southern parts of the state, thanks in part to last year's mild winter..,
Making a call for more deer hunters in southeastern Minnesota November 3, 2024 Post Bulletin
...Deer numbers in the Southeast are in sharp contrast to problems with too few deer in the north. Down here, we have great habitat and our winters are rarely severe enough to kill many deer... One big reason is a fixation of antlers. “Hunting has gone more to trophy hunting,” ..,
Deer hunting season provides economic boost November 2, 2024 Minnesota, Business North
... Deer hunting generates nearly $500 million in total economic activity in the state, according to Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources..,
Deer hunters invited to share wildlife observations October 21, 2024 Minnesota, KFGO
... Minnesota deer hunters can use an online log ... to report wildlife they see while hunting. Data from the observation logs help the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimate population level trends ...
DNR assures deer hunters it's OK to shoot does with fawns October 18, 2024 Minnesota, Grand Forks Herald
... Some hunters can be reluctant to harvest a doe with fawns out of worry for what may become of the fawns. Rest assured that by the time hunting begins, fawns are old enough to survive on their own, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says...
Changing habitat a major factor in the decline of deer October 17, 2024 Minnesota, The Timberjay
... [northern Minnesota] Deer populations boomed for a time in the wake of logging, but as the second growth forests matured, deer numbers began to decline. By the 1970s, our region’s deer herd was at a low ebb as the mixed-aspen forest type, which then made up about 50 percent of the landscape here, had become overwhelmingly mature due to limited markets for timber... over the 15-20 years since the plant closures, all those aspen acres have grown up to the point where they offer little in the way of deer habitat ...
What Minnesota deer hunters can expect this season October 14, 2024 DNR News
... Deer populations continue to increase in southern Minnesota, and deer fared well over last year’s mild winter... Despite a mild 2023-24 winter, deer populations in the northeast region of Minnesota are still low and will take multiple years to recover from several severe winters in prior years..,
Elk habitat tour highlights collaboration on northwest Minnesota projects September 20, 2024 Minnesota, St. Cloud Live
... During the last winter aerial survey in 2023, DNR crews tallied 75 elk in the Kittson Central herd, 29 in the Grygla herd and 227 in the Caribou-Vita herd. And while the Minnesota Legislature last session passed legislation allowing the DNR to increase the Kittson Central herd by about 30% to 98 elk, the population Minnesota manages directly is relatively small...,
Stopping deer with psychology, and anti-weed strategies: This Weekend in the Garden September 20, 2024 Minnesota, PennLive.com
... The garden areas are called “micro-exclosures,” and they’re made by creating 16-by-16-foot fenced areas using thick-gauge, galvanized-metal cattle panels. In two years of micro-exclosure trials in a 60-acre Minnesota “rewilded” forest with heavy deer pressure, deer browsed only once during 730 days of observation...
Identifying Risk Factors for Deer-Vehicle Collisions Sepember 18, 2024 Minnesota, Crossroads
... On average, over 1,200 crashes per year were reported to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MnDPS) between 2016 and 2020 ... Comparing collision site observations with MnDPS records indicated that between 0% and 38% of crashes were reported, depending on the roadway, with an average of 10%. ... Using the data-driven machine-learning model, researchers created an interactive map to predict the relative risk of deer-vehicle collisions .... Final report (PDF)
Increase in deer population could lead to bountiful year for archery hunters September 12, 2024 Minnesota, CBS News
... deer numbers are up for a couple reasons. An extremely mild winter gave them access to acorns, one of their favorite foods, and a wet spring allowed some of their favorite plants to green up early on..,
Minnesota DNR holds steady or decreases doe permits for 2024 deer hunt August 17, 2024 Echo Press
... Even after the mildest winter on record, biologists say the northern deer herd is still down after recent tough winters... Combined with steady pressure from predators like wolves, black bears and bobcats, the harsh winters have held deer numbers down for more than a decade ..,
Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging deer farm regulations August 14, 2024 Minnesota, MPR News
... A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging Minnesota laws that tighten regulation of the farmed deer industry... in response to the spread of chronic wasting disease ...
Minnesota DNR announces 2024 deer season details August 1, 2024 Grand Forks Herald
... 99 deer permit areas (DPAs) have the same designation as last year, while 30 DPAs, primarily in the northern part of the state, have lower bag limits. No DPAs have increased bag limits this year...northern areas with lower bag limits intended to increase deer populations ..,
Community rallies to save a deer sanctuary in central Minnesota July 29, 2024 Minnesota, CBS News on MSN
... Gopher Campfire Wildlife Sanctuary ... due to a new law, it lacked the proper fencing to keep wild deer away putting the sanctuary in jeopardy... "The community really came together and showed how much they want the deer to stay ...
Plan to capture Minnesota elk, establish new herd gains momentum July 19, 2024 Phys.org
... An idea first floated a dozen years ago to capture wild elk and move them to an area in northeastern Minnesota is two years away from reality—a progression firmed up by the recent hirings of two full-time elk specialists..,
Minnesota drivers hit thousands of deer a year. Here's where it happens most. July 7, 2024 Minneapolis Star Tribune on MSN
... The study found that about two-thirds of Minnesota deer-vehicle collisions each year happen just outside the Twin Cities, especially in the suburbs leading out to St. Cloud... three main factors... : The speed of the vehicle, the number of cars on the road and the amount of deer in the area...,
Spring black bear harvest and predation pressure on moose calves in a multi‐predator system 2024, Minnesota, The Journal of Wildlife Management
... moose ... has recently declined in Minnesota ... Mean proportion of calf predation attributed to bears was 4.9 times higher (30% vs. 6%) in the years when a spring bear hunt was not held. Despite an increasing wolf density during the study period, we did not observe compensatory increase in wolf predation during spring bear hunt years. The results of this work suggest that the addition of a spring bear hunt,
during a time when moose calves are most vulnerable to bear predation, has the potential to increase moose calf survival even in the presence of wolves...
Minnesota DNR Using AI + Trail Cams For Deer Survey In 6 Permit Zones June 5, 2024, KDHL Radio
... There will be a massive amount of data collected with time-lapse photography. The DNR says they will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to process the data. They used it before in studies in 2021 and 2023 with success. You can expect the results and the final analysis in 2027...
Northeastern Minnesota deer study to begin Jun 3, 2024 Minnesota DNR
...The DNR will place cameras on public and private lands to gather additional deer density data in deer permit areas ... Traditional deer population modeling relies heavily on hunter harvest data. This project will provide additional data to increase confidence in making harvest decisions in the study area... Private landowners sought at selected locations to host trail cameras ..,
Culling efforts wrap up May 22, 2024 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
... Targeted culling is a management action used to slow the spread of CWD where it is known to exist. The Minnesota DNR does not cull deer across a broad area; all efforts are focused within 2 miles of a known positive location...CWD test results can be found on the DNR website.
A Hutchinson deer sanctuary might be forced to close its doors after 60 years May 20, 2024 Minnesota, CBS News
... But due to a new law, Gopher Campfire Wildlife Sanctuary is now required to build a second fence around the perimeter, to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease... the sanctuary is run by volunteers and supported by donations. So there's no guarantee organizers will come up with the money they need...
Humans have substantially altered the relationship between wolves and deer May 8, 2024 Minnesota, Tri-County News
...research from the University of Minnesota’s Voyageurs Wolf Project found that human activities in northern Minnesota –
logging, road and trail creation, and infrastructure development – have profoundly impacted where wolves hunt and kill deer fawns. By altering forest ecosystems, humans have created an environment that possibly favors the predators... [published in Ecological Applications]
Behind the scenes of season setting April 23, 2024 Minnesota DNR News
... The 2023-2024 WSI estimates indicate this winter to be one of the most mild winters Minnesota has seen in recent history. This bodes well for Minnesota deer as the usual stressors associated with winter (such as reduced food availability, mobility and survival) were less of an issue compared to other years. Keep in mind though: One mild winter doesn’t guarantee a significant increase in deer numbers. For example, the winter of 2020-2021 was very mild, but was also followed by two consecutive harsh winters ..,
Winona council OKs sharpshooters to thin deer, combat CWD April 19, 2024 Minnesota, Winona Post
... Last month, the City Council agreed to let the DNR bring in professional sharpshooters to cull the deer population on city property where CWD-positive deer have been located...
Gopher Campfire Sanctuary seeks funding to save deer April 17, 2024 Minnesota, Crow River Media
... Gopher Campfire leadership are appealing for donations to install secondary fencing at the Hutchinson wildlife sanctuary as mandated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The measure aims to prevent physical contact between wild deer and those within the sanctuary's perimeter, protecting the resident deer population...
Drazkowski moves to fully abolish southern Minnesota shotgun-only hunting zone April 14, 2024 Minnesota Senate Republicans
... An in-depth study commissioned by the Pennsylvania General Assembly found “shotguns firing modern saboted slugs have a larger danger area than the .30-06 rifle when the angle of elevation is approximately level (0 degrees); hence, given this firing condition, the shotgun is riskier than the rifle. In other words, the typical hunter discharging a 12 gauge shotgun fitted with a rifled barrel firing a .50- caliber saboted modern high-velocity ammunition at a deer on level terrain is riskier than a hunter firing a .30-06 with a 150-grain expanding bullet at the same deer.” ...
Eichorn votes to authorize wolf hunt in Minnesota April 12, 2024 Minnesota Senate Republicans
... Minnesota State Senator Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) and Senate Republicans offered an amendment to the Senate’s environment policy bill on Thursday that would authorize an annual wolf hunting season in Minnesota regardless of any federal prohibition...
Moose and white‐tailed deer mortality peaks in fall and late winter - Journal of Wildlife Management, 2024
... The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa manages for sustainable subsistence harvests of moose (mooz; Alces alces) and white‐tailed deer (waawaashkeshi; Odocoileus virginianus). Moose populations in northern Minnesota, USA, are declining ... Mean annual moose survival was 83.2%, and mortality risk peaked during late winter (~25 April) and fall (~8 October). Mean annual deer survival was 48.0%, and mortality risk peaked during late winter (~25 March) and during their fall migration period (~11 November)...
Federal suit filed over deer farm regulations April 3, 2024 Minnesota, The Timberjay
... The situation at the heart of the dispute is the state’s ongoing effort to control chronic wasting disease (CWD) in both the farmed and wild cervid population, including deer, moose, elk, reindeer, and sika deer ... lawsuit filed with the Minnesota federal district court ...
High-powered rifles for deer hunting debated
March 24, 2024 Minnesota, Mankato Free Press
... A proposal moving through the state Legislature would allow the use of rifles anywhere in the state during deer hunting... opposed by those who say rifle hunting in the more open areas of southern Minnesota would be dangerous...
Anderson: In northeast Minnesota, observing DNR, habitat and deer all decline March 21, 2024 Minnesota, Yahoo! Sports
... Lightfoot [a northeast Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife manager from 1980 to 2015] said DNR office closings, staff reductions and the elimination of deer habitat efforts in the northeast are major reasons the region's whitetail numbers have plummeted..,
Downtrend continues for deer harvest, could lead to further restrictions March 16, 2024 Minnesota, KSTP-TV
... a key factor in the recent dips is the harsh and snowy winters of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 ... it’s too early to tell, but the mild winter could bode well for future harvests..,
DNR says mild winters will help deer population March 9, 2024 Minnesota, Journal
... “The reason the deer harvest was down this year is that we had two back-to-back brutal winters with deep snow across most of northern Minnesota, especially the northeast,” ... 14% less than the five-year average... The 2023 harvest in the Minnesota arrowhead (northeast) region was 21% less than 2022 ..,
Historic warm, low-snow winter boon to many wildlife, bust for others March 6, 2024 Minnesota, The Lawton Constitution
... after back-to-back severe winters in 1995-96 and 1996-97 when many deer perished. With a string of mild winters that followed, northern Minnesota saw its highest-ever deer population ... This is one of the few winters of the past 10 years that haven't seen deep snow on the ground that restricts their access to food and their ability to escape predators..,
DNR Says Minnesota Moose Population Has Remained Relatively Stable March 6, 2024 Lakeland PBS
... The most recent DNR population estimate is approximately 3,470 animals. Results continue to suggest that after a steep decline from a population estimate of approximately 8,000 in 2009, Minnesota’s moose population appears to have stabilized and has fluctuated around 3,700 animals in recent years..,
Harvest is official: Minnesota's deer hunt season was a downer March 1, 2024 Star Tribune
... DNR's wildlife managers have been saying publicly since 2018 that northern deer are losing winter habitat due to logging practices on public lands. Froberg said this winter's mild conditions bode well for deer in northern Minnesota, but the animals will need several mild winters to "start to recover'' their population ..,
Minnesota 2023 deer harvest down 8% statewide from 2022, DNR says February 26, 2024 YAHOO!News
... Minnesota hunters shot 158,678 deer during the 2023 hunting season ... down 8% from the 2022 season and 14% less than the five-year average... In recent years, deer populations have been lower in northern Minnesota .., [the report]
DNR announces 2023 deer season harvest results, CWD management findings February 26, 2024 Minnesota DNR News
... CWD was detected in 43 hunter-harvested deer during the 2023 fall hunting seasons. Of these, 91% were from the southeast, a region that continues to see persistent CWD infections in wild deer... Targeted culling is a management action used to slow the spread of CWD where it is known to exist..,
Plants can uptake CWD-causing prions from soil in the lab. What happens if they are eaten?
February 22, 2024 Minnesota, University of Minnesota CIDRAP
... published in iScience in December ... They demonstrated that alfalfa, barley, and Arabidopsis thaliana, a small plant from the mustard family called thale cress and other names, all accumulated sufficient prions from contaminated soil in their above-ground tissues to cause mice that ingested the plant tissues to develop prion disease...
