A preliminary report shows hunters around Minnesota bagged 170,000 deer during the 2024 hunting season, a 7% increase from 2023. The statewide harvest is still 3% lower than the five-year average, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Hunters in northeastern Minnesota enjoyed a 9% increase in their harvest over last year. The mild winter in 2023 helped bolster local populations, the DNR reported, but wildlife managers cautioned it takes more than one mild winter for deer populations to recover.
In northwest Minnesota, the 2024 harvest increased 8% over last year. Wildlife managers in this region received many reports of does with twins and triplets last spring and summer.
The central and southeast regions of the state also saw great success, with a 9% increase from 2023 and a 2% increase compared to the five-year average. The DNR said these areas of the state continue to see robust hunting seasons, with bag limits as high as three- to five-deer limits.
The southwest saw a 4% increase in harvest compared to 2023 and a 1% increase from the five-year average.
2024 also was remarkably successful for archery hunters, with harvest up 16%. Preliminary data suggests this might be the second-highest archery harvest ever recorded in Minnesota, second only to the 2020 season.
If drier winter conditions persist into this spring, the DNR said hunters can expect increasing deer numbers for the 2025 harvest.
Hunters and anyone with an interest in deer are invited to provide their input to the DNR through a survey, open through Feb. 10.
The survey includes questions about hunters' experiences during the deer season, as well as issues deer may have caused with crops, landscaping or gardens.
-
Lorie Shaull/KAXEA man impersonating a police officer shot Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband in their Brooklyn Park home. Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot multiple times. -
Contributed/Erin HaefeleWhen the garden or farmers market gives you everything at once, the best way to handle it is to return to the fundamentals: roast, grill, bake, pickle, can, dry, freeze and sauté. These aren’t just methods, they’re survival tools during harvest season. Especially grilling. Because it’s summer. And everything tastes better with a little char and a lot of butter.This week, Amy and Heidi talked to Erin Haefele of Green Scene in Walker, Minnesota, "a charming food haven nestled in the heart of rural northern Minnesota where small-town warmth meets big-city sophistication." Erin inspires us with simple preparations to deliciously fresh garden ingredients. And we hear from Amy's friend Beth Friedrichson from Wisconsin, who gushes about dilly beans and life on the farm with chickens and alpacas.Lots of folks phoned in to talk about their harvests, whether it was peonies in Stillwater, garlic near Detroit Lakes, urban front yard CSAs in Minneapolis, potato varieties in Deer River or stuffed grape leaves in Chicago, you had a story to tell. Share yours! This week's community recipe to cook along with us is Onion Pie: kaxe.org/community-recipe-onion-pie-ham-radio-amy-thielen. Give it a try and send us your reactions and photos at comments@kaxe.org!Ham Radio Features original licensed music — "You Know How I Like It" by Jeremy Messersmith.Made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund. Support KAXE by becoming a member today: https://donate.nprstations.org/kaxe/donate -
And: Brainerd senior Ty Nelson wins a second triple jump title, and Red Lake County will play for a baseball title Saturday. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEEntrepreneurs shaped downtown more than 100 years ago near the Lake Bemidji waterfront. Members of the Bemidji Heritage Preservation are committed to sharing their stories. -
Contributed/Frazee Hornet Baseball via FacebookRain made for an interesting end to the baseball season for many Class A teams Thursday. Grand Rapids lost in the 3A consolation championship. -
Chelsey Perkins/KAXEThree of the four Republicans voted in favor of rescinding funding already allocated for public media organizations through the CPB and four Democrats voted against.
