Minnesota Deer Population: Nearly one million whitetail deer in 2023 with about 950,000 deer in 2020, 935,000 in 2019, and 960,000 in 2018. Good weather into 2024 increased some populations, but a harsh 2022-23 winter reduced populations in the north. DNR's 2024-25 deer forecast. Mild winters in 2020-21 and 2021-22 except in the north with overall populations about stable, but weather contributed to lower populations in 2022.
A modest downward trend from an estimated population of 1 million deer in 2016 and 2017. Up from about 850,000 deer in 2015, 800,000 in 2014. A hard 2018-19 winter dramatically reduced the population in the north Mild winters and fewer antlerless permits account for the upward trend into 2018, numbers still down in the northeast. The deer harvest peaked in 2003 and the population trended down from then into 2013.
Minnesota Deer News
Tighter rules could benefit farmers, hunters - Rochester - Post Bulletin
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...
Minnesota Deer Archive: Population and Management, Deer in the News, Disease, Suburban Management, Transportation, Deer Resistant Plants
Minnesota data: Good weather into 2024 benefited deer populations. A rough estimate from the state reported in 2023 put the deer population at nearly 1 million. The decline in deer sightings by hunters at the beginning of the 2023 hunt and the 8 percent drop in deer taken during the hunt raises concerns that the population is declining, particularly in the north. An early 2020 state forecast put the deer population between 900,000 to 1 million deer, or about 950,000 deer. A 2024 study found about tw0-thirds of deer-vehicle collisions happen outside the Twin Cities. For 2024, reduced hunting permits in the north to increase the population, other permit areas are the same as 2023.
A mild 2023-24 winter has allowed deer to recover after the past couple of hard winters. A harsh, late winter for 2022-23 with heavy snow in the north kept deer numbers down - the most severe winter since 2013-14. After a decade of declining deer populations in the northeast, DNR eliminated most antlerless permits for 2023. DNR's 2023-24 deer forecast.
The 2022-23 forecast summarizes that " Overall weather conditions had no impact on the deer herd and fawn production was very good." Altough, 2022-23 was a hard winter for some areas. Weather, habitat, and predators were cited as reasons for declining deer populations in some areas in 2022, but in the annual population trends report the DNR concluded that "Deer populations in most DPAs increased through 2022." However, deer-vehicle collisions were on a downward trend with November, 2022, the lowest in 10 years and the deer kiil from the hunt was down. A hard winter for 2021-22 in the north with the population about the same in the rest of the state for 2022. DNR's 2022 Deer Population Trends.
The mild winter of 2020-21 benefited deer populations, but to compensate for previous deep-snow winters fewer doe permits were issued in the north. DNR's 2021-22 forecast. DNR's 2021 Deer Population Trends. More licenses sold and mild weather contributed to the increase in the 2020 harvest numbers. DNR's 2020-21 forecast.
Population goals in 2020 were to increase deer populations in the north where harsh weather and deep snow has kept the population down, to stabilize populations in the northwest and west, and slightly decrease populations in the central portions. In 2020 Minnesota built its first deer crossing structure to reduce vehicle collisions. Research in 2020 concludes "herbivores on six continents can't can keep up with all the extra plant life dominating grasslands ... including Minnesota." A rough 2019-20 winter and some harsh winters since 2013 reduced deer numbers.
DNR forecast for 2019-20. In 2019 462,095 deer hunting licenses sold compared to 521,951 in 2012. Based on harvest data, a population of about 935,000 deer in 2019 and 960,000 in 2018. The state expected the 2019 population to be down slightly from 2018. In 2019 the DNR cited commercial deer hunting as a possible threat to the herd. Harvest data indicates a modest downward trend from a state estimate of about 1 million deer in 2016 and 2017, but up from about 850,000 deer in 2015, 800,000 in 2014.
A rough winter in 2018-19 resulted in a drastic population decline in northern areas according to the DNR, but three mild winters, 2014-17, and fewer antlerless permits allowed for an upward upward trend. The 2017-18 winter was a mild to average winter with increased deer permits for 2018. Fawn survival was higher. Also mild in 2016-17. More hunting permits in 2016, although a conservative approach for the north and northeast to allow the herd to grow. A mild 2015-16 winter, the second in a row, increased deer populations.
About one million deer in 2013. About 900,000 to one million wild deer from 2013 - 2010, up slightly in 2012 from better weather and hunting restrictions in some parts of the state, but down in 2013 and 2014 from two severe winters, worst in the north. The winter of 2013-14 was the worst in 50 years. Another conservative hunt in 2015 with reduced tags to allow the population rebound to continue. In 70 of Minnesota’s 128 deer permit areas, hunters were chosen in a lottery to shoot an antlerless deer. License sales totaled 609,382 in 2015, up from 598,594 in 2014. In 2015, hunters spent more than $725 million on equipment, food, licenses and permits. Hunters were expressing dissatisfaction with the number of deer in 2015. Read the 2016 state audit of Minnesota Deer Management: Full Report or Summary. Summary of 2016 deer plan.
Deer Farms In 2017 there were 421 deer and elk farms in the state. In 2019 there were 339 licensed deer and elk farms in the state, 308 in 2020, 259 in 2021. In 2021, the law was changed allowing the DNR to inspect the 174 whitetail deer farms. About 150 deer and elk farms in 2022, down from 400 in 2005. In 2023 Cook county became the first county to ban deer farms. By the end of 2023 the number of deer farms in the state had dropped to 125 and the decline was expected to continue based on new laws regarding their operation.
The MDNR reduced deer tags for 2014 to boost the herd and imposed bucks only hunting in the northeast. Deer density dropped to 5.6 deer per square mile around Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in the northwest - target of 15 to 20 per square mile. After pressure from hunting groups, emergency deer feeding began in March of 2014 for the northern part of the state, the first time since 1989 based on a legislative bill. The 2013 deer harvest was the lowest in a decade. Anterless deer permits were reduced to grow the herd.
About 1 million deer in 2012 and 2011 after a few years of a downward trend. A population estimate of 1,200,000 deer in 2009. An estimate of 1.1 million in 2003.
Minnesota Deer Harvest, 1918 to 2016 from 2016 Deer Plan Information
History Deer were rare in northern Minnesota at the time of European settlement, forests were much different and dominated by elk and caribou. Clearing of forests by settlers in the mid-1800s improved deer habitat for deer in central Minnesota, but agricultural land conversion began to reduce habitat quality and with significant market and subsistence hunting, deer were rare in many parts of the state by the 1880s.
After over hunting during the 1960's, the deer season was closed in 1971 allowing the herd to recover. For much of the 1970 to 1990's, the DNF focused on increasing the deer population. The legislature approved rules for emergency winter deer feeding when about 30 percent of the herd died in the severe winter of 1995-96 and an additional 8 percent died in '96-97, 50 cents from each license for deer feeding.
The harvest peaked in 2003 at 290,000 during a time of liberal hunting regulations. Some believe too many deer were killed then, resulting in the decline of the past 10 years, bringing the population down to 1970 levels. The 2014 harvest fell below 150,000, the lowest number since 1997. Hunter success was 31.1% in 2013 with about an equal number of bucks and does taken. Hard winters have taken a toll on the upper Minnesota herd with four hard winters out of the seven prior to 2015. There was little fawn survival in 2014 which was the second most severe on record.
About 500,000 deer hunters. .A whitetail's home range is about one square mile. Adult males weight about 170 pounds, adult females about 145. The northern pine forests are poor deer habitat.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) First detected in 2002 at a deer farm in Aitkin County. The first case was a wild deer that tested positive was killed by an archer in 2010 south of Pine Island. Over three years 5,000 deer within a 330 square mile area were killed and tested - none positive. In November, 2016, CWD was discovered in wild deer near Preston/Lanesboro in the southeast. Also in 2016, a captive deer in Meeker County tested positive, a doe purchased from a Crow Wing County farm in 2014. Additional captive deer have since tested positive.
Testing in 2017 found six confirmed and one suspected case in the disease management zone, down from 11 in 2016, but no cases outside the established zone. More in 2018, 34 in the 2018-19 season, and 2019. In 2020, 22 positives but testing was reduced because of the Covid pandemic. More in deer farms and the wild in 2021, controversial bans on captive deer movement, and University of Minnesota researchers develop a field test for CWD. Online CIDRAP CWD Resource Center. Positives for 2022 and 2023. As of November, 2023, 130,000 wild deer were tested since 2002 with 236 testing positive. No wild elk or moose since 2004. During the 2023-24 hunting season 44 positive cases in deer. A 2024 study found that CWD-causing prions from soil can accumulate in above ground plants that deer eat.
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) was first identified n Minnesota in October 2018 when the Minnesota Animal Health Board confirmed six deer on a farm in Goodhue County. The first two cases in the wild herd were found in Stearns county in 2019 and a third in Houston County. Four reindeer were infected in a zoo in 2020. An outbreak in 2021 and an experimental vaccine tested in a zoo.
Insecticides and toxic chemicals: In 2021, insecticide was found in 94 percent of the deer in one test. Long-term monitoring reported in 2021 shows 7% of Minnesota venison laced with toxic lead from bullets. Testing for cancer causing chemicals in 2020.
Covid Some deer test positive for covid in 2022.
Moose population reported to be 3,470 in 2024 estimated at 3,290 in 2023, between 3,000 and 4,000 in 2022, at 3,150 in 2020. In 2020 research about how as wolf numbers go up and elk numbers go down and effect of brainworm resulting in a 50 percent decine from 2006. Ticks have also reduced populations. An estimate of 4,180 moose in early 2019 with brainworm identified as a major threat. An estimate of 3,030 in early 2018, statistically unchanged from the 3,710 estimated for early 2017 in the northeastern part of the state, statistically unchanged from the estimate of 4,020 in 2016. 2005-2016 population. Estimated at 3,450 in 2015. The moose population dropped from a peak of about 8,800 in 2006 to an estimated 4,230 to 2,760 between 2012 and 2013 -- 3,450 based on an aerial survey reported in early 2015. Biologists are studying the cause of the decline. The population in the northeastern corner of the state peaked at 8,840 in 2006. By then they had already largely disappeared from the northwestern corner of Minnesota.
Moose Population
2005 8,160
2006 8,840
2007 6,860
2008 7,890
2009 7,890
2010 5,700
2011 4,900
2012 4,230
2013 2,760
2014 4,350
2015 3,450
2016 4,020
2017 3,710
2018 3,030
2019 4,180
2020 3,150
2021 No survey
2022 4,700
2023 3,290
Source: Minnesota DNR
Elk were abundant prior to extermination by European immigrants in the late 1800's. About 130 elk in 2016 in the northwest. In 2019 researchers find that the northeast could support at least 550 elk. Tribal support in 2020. The winter 2023 survey found 331 Elk in the state. Plans to increase the herd in 2024.
Caribou were abundant in the northern part of the state but were hunted to extinction by the 1930's and 40's. The few remaining on Lake Superior Islands were air lifted to a new island location in 2018.
Wolves An estimated 2,700 wolves in 2021. About the same for several years. A 2024 video of a wolf killing a deer near humans raises concerns and many hunters blame wolves for the decline of the northern deer herd. A 2023 study indicates humans have altered the landscape in favor of the wolves. In 2021 a live video camera was placed on a wolf.
As of 2020, the state had been paying out about 135,000 per year for wolf kills over the previous decade. An estimated 2,696 in 2020 and 2,700 wolves in 2019. About 2,655 wolves in 456 packs in early 2018. An estimated 2,856 wolves in 2017. An estimated 2,278 wolves in 2016, 2,221 in 2015, 2,423 in 2014, 2,211 in 2013. The 2012-13 winter survey estimated a range of 1,652 to 2,641 wolves, compared to the 2007-08 estimate of 2,200 to 3,500. Record low of about 350 - 750 in the 1950's and 1960's. Peak of of about 3,020 in 2003-2004. Wolves were never wiped out from Minnesota, the only state of the lower 48.
Cougar Some have been spotted. From 2004 to December, 2023, 77 confirmed sightings.