Central Minnesota, from Park Rapids to Brainerd, has some of the highest deer numbers in the state; some permit areas in the region harvest 10 to 13 deer per square mile, says big-game biologist Lou Carnicelli of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Re: Anyone here hunt deer with an AR style of rifle? MN currently has no magazine restrictions while deer hunting.
its illegal to shoot an albino deer in Minnesota too. No it's not. Is illegal to shoot an albino bear though.
For deer hunting, Minnesota generally is divided into areas that allow rifles, and others that allow shotguns only (and hunting handguns). Note also: Hunting handguns can be used in shotgun zones.
Best States Based on Deer Per Square MileMississippi tops the list at almost 40 deer per square mile, but Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan all show an average of more than 30 deer per square mile. Indiana, Alabama, South Carolina and Kentucky all have 23 or more deer per square mile.
Hunting licenses are valid from March 1 through February 28 of the following year:
| Resident Licenses | Fee |
|---|
| Deer - Camp Ripley hunt B application - Code 669 | $14.00 |
| Deer - Disease Management - Code (R-201 / NR-202) | $1.50 |
| Deer - Early Antlerless (r) - Code 422 | $8.50 |
| Deer - firearm (r) - Code 212 | $34.00 |
Deer licenses can be purchased at DNR license agents across Minnesota, by phone at 888-665-4236 or online at
Minnesota had 103,852 licensed archers in 2017. That equates to 1.3 per square mile. In comparison, Pennsylvania, which has the most bowhunters in the country at 339,600, has 7.6 archers per square mile.
Texas ranked first, with hunters taking 722,044 deer, compared to 341,288 deer in Michigan, Outdoor Life said. Also in the top five: Pennsylvania (333,254), Wisconsin (316,774) and Georgia (316,463). Texas has an estimated 4.3 million deer, while Michigan has about 1.75 million.
Hunters can kill up to five antlerless deer during the special October hunt, none of which count against their limits in the state's regular-season November hunt. “Deer population trends in these areas have been increasing,'' Keller said.
Mule deer are generally found in western North America. Seeing mule deer in Minnesota is not unheard of, but it is certainly not a common occurrence in this portion of the state. "In my work area, mule deer are very rare," Kotts said. "In the 1990s, I saw a small mule deer buck that was shot near Hancock.
They are common in both suburban and rural areas. Population and Management: After the young (fawns) are born each spring, there are between 900,000 and 1,000,000 deer in Minnesota.
White-tailed deerMoose and woodland caribou were the most abundant members of the deer family.
While baiting deer during hunting season is illegal in Minnesota, many people like to feed deer to keep them around for wildlife watching. “It includes salt and mineral blocks that many hunters use as well as fruits, vegetables, nuts, hay and other food that is capable of attracting or enticing deer.”
Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced it will slowly reopen its campgrounds to the state's residents and visitors. Gov. The DNR says it plans to have a majority of its campgrounds open by June 15.
A Minnesota big game hunting license is required for all hunters 10 years of age and older. Those 13 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian while hunting (parents or guardians require a valid hunting license to participate in the hunt).
Minnesota resident license options
| License | Fee |
|---|
| Angling - 24-hour Code 110 (r) | $12.00 |
| Angling - 3 year Individual - Code 141 (r) | $71.00 |
| Angling - 72 Hour - Code 140 (r) | $14.00 |
| Angling - combination (Married Couple) (r) - Code 112 | $40.00 |
All hunters ages 16 to 64 must purchase a small game license and pheasant stamp to hunt pheasants in Minnesota. Hunters are required to wear at least one visible article of clothing above the waist that is blaze orange or pink.
Minnesota hunting seasons offer the chance to bag
deer, wolf, bobcat and a variety of small game.
Minnesota Deer Seasons.
| Archery | Sept. 19-Dec. 31 |
|---|
| Firearms | Nov. 7-22** |
| Muzzleloader | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 |
| Youth Hunt | Oct. 15-18 |
Your card does NOT take the place of your license; however, if you lose your actual license, you will need to go to an ELS agent, and they will print you a duplicate license, free of charge.
The Minnesota DNR has received a limited number of reports from people who attempted to purchase fishing or hunting licenses online and came away from the transaction without a license, or having been charged in excess of the cost of a license. Online license purchases should be made only on this DNR website.
A Minnesota state waterfowl stamp is required for residents age 18 to 64 and nonresidents age 16 and over. (72-hour licenses include the state waterfowl stamp.) Special goose permit (residents ages 18-64 and all nonresidents) required for the September season, $4.
If you're living on a property you'd like to hunt on, you'll need to have at least 150 acres of space between where you're hunting and any home near you. If you're unsure about whether or not you can hunt on your own property, it's best that you check in with your county.
No person may hunt with a firearm within 450 feet of an occupied building, dwelling, house, residence or cabin, or any barn or other building used in connection with a farm operation, without obtaining the written permission of the owner, renter or occupant of the property. The safety zone applies to hunting only.
Under the new system, hunters will be required to purchase a base license – $11 for residents and $151 for nonresidents – before purchasing any other licenses. The base license allows hunters to pursue small game and purchase additional licenses.
Hunter numbers have steadily declined since. We lost 2.2 million hunters between 2011 and 2016 alone, according to the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, a report issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2016, just 11.5 million people hunted.
Resident annual - $26. Nonresident annual - $76. Senior annual (resident 65 or older or residents who are legally blind) - $11. 24-hour (resident or nonresident) - $10.
Baiting deer remains illegal in most of Michigan after a bill to end the existing ban was vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Now, Republican lawmakers are taking another shot at the current rules, introducing legislation that would reduce the penalty for baiting to $1.
You can purchase either the annual base license OR a short-term small game license: Nonresident 3-day small game: $50. Nonresident 7-day small game: $80. Nonresident base annual license: $151.
But if a big Michigan whitetail is your goal, look to southern counties. Looking at combined Boone and Crockett and Pope & Young entries, the highest concentration of record deer come from the southwestern corner of the state. Focus on areas between Ottawa, Lapeer, Berrien and Lenawee counties.
Hunters harvested about 376,000 deer. Harvest increased significantly by 10% between 2016 and 2017. Statewide, nearly 50% of hunters harvested a deer in 2017. About 22% of hunters took an antlerless deer and 36% took an antlered buck in 2017.
