Minnesota Hunters will have more opportunities to harvest deer this season

Hunters can start planning ahead for the deer season with the release of the 2020 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping regulations handbook, now available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources deer hunting page at mndnr.gov/hunting/deer.

“This season, hunters in general will see more chances to harvest deer,” said Barbara Keller, DNR big game program leader. “These opportunities are due to increases in deer populations in much of the state and as part of our response to chronic wasting disease in southern Minnesota.”

Hunting licenses go on sale Saturday, Aug. 1, and are available at any DNR license agent, by telephone at 888-665-4236, or online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense.

The popular youth deer hunting season continues and will happen statewide Oct. 15-18. During last year’s inaugural statewide youth season, nearly 5,700 young deer hunters harvested a deer, which represented a 77 percent increase from the previous season when it was limited to fewer areas.

“Positive early hunting experiences go a long way toward starting or continuing a rewarding fall tradition,” Keller said. “We’re excited to be able to continue providing this great opportunity that helps adults introduce youth to all that deer hunting has to offer.”

Other deer season changes include:

• The DNR has expanded the early antlerless deer season, Oct. 15-18, to include more deer permit areas in central and southeastern Minnesota. The season increases opportunities for hunters in areas where deer populations are above population goals, or where there is an increased risk of chronic wasting disease spreading. Permit areas open during the hunt are 213, 214, 215, 341, 342, 343, 344, 604, 605, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649 and 655.
• Several deer permit area boundaries in north-central and northwestern Minnesota have changed due to input from the public and DNR staff during the deer population goal-setting process, or in response to CWD spread. Hunters should double check the boundaries of any permit areas where they plan to hunt.

CWD testing requirements

There are significant changes to the regulations related to chronic wasting disease, as the DNR continues its aggressive management of CWD and also ensuring hunter and staff safety by implementing sampling changes that allow for social distancing and community mitigation measures.

The DNR has created additional CWD testing areas due to the detection of CWD in both wild and captive deer in new areas last year. While sampling is voluntary this season, a move the DNR made to mitigate the risk of spreading coronavirus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DNR highly encourages hunters in these sampling areas to participate in testing their harvested wild deer. The DNR remains confident that hunter cooperation will allow the agency to detect the disease.

Since fall 2017, the DNR has required hunters to have their deer tested for CWD in certain areas of the state to monitor the disease and discover new areas where it may have spread. Rather than having staffed sampling stations as in the past, the DNR will set up a network of self-service stations where hunters can drop off samples. Full details will be available on the CWD webpage closer to the start of the season.

On July 1, deer feeding and attractant bans were expanded to include the metro area. In addition, due to the spread of CWD, the antler point restrictions in southeastern Minnesota have been temporarily lifted and cross-tagging, also known as party hunting, will be allowed in southeastern Minnesota for antlered bucks.

As in previous years, the DNR is enforcing carcass movement restrictions in disease management and control zones to limit the spread of disease.

Additional regulation changes are detailed on the DNR’s deer hunting webpage at mndnr.gov/hunting/deer.

Putting an End to Deer Poaching on Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

Thanks to an anonymous tip and solid investigative work, a 17-year serial poacher from

Minnesota was sentenced in federal court today after pleading guilty to a Lacey Act violation for transporting wildlife that was unlawfully taken in violation of federal law. In October 2013, William Robert Welsh, age 41 of St. Cloud, Minnesota pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge.

A plea agreement outlines an admission from Welsh that, in October of 2011, Welsh shot and killed a deer in the closed area of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. The following day, Welsh sawed off the deer’s antlers and transported them to his residence, leaving the remainder of the carcass in the field. Welsh later transported the antlers and other evidence to another person’s residence and instructed them to hide the items.

As part of the sentence, Judge Franklin L. Noel of the Minnesota District announced that Welsh is barred from hunting “big game” anywhere in the United States for five years, banned from entering Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge for five years and forfeits his seized firearm and hunting equipment, along with trophy deer mounts and antlers from seven illegally taken deer. Judge Noel placed Welsh on two years of probation and 100 hours of community service, additionally banned Welsh from hunting small game during that time.   

This court case stems from a joint U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources investigation that documented what may be the most extensive poaching activity in the history of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Welsh’s illegal deer hunting operation was located north of Zimmerman, Minnesota in an area of the refuge that is closed to all public access.

“This investigation revealed at least a decade of egregious poaching on the refuge and other areas throughout the state,” explained U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Zone Law Enforcement Officer Brent Taylor.

“While the loss to the resource cannot be undone, it is good to know that this poacher will not be able to continue his unethical behavior anywhere in the country,” continued Taylor.

The investigation started when Federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Officer Scott Pariseau received a call in November 2011 through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Turn-in-

Part of the illegal poaching by William Robert Welsh
 of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Photo by USFWS

Poachers hotline. Based on that information, investigators located Welsh unlawfully hunting in the closed area of the refuge with his young son. Officer Pariseau, along with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and Office of Law Enforcement special agents, identified five permanent tree stands in the closed area of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge that Welsh used for hunting deer.

“We are pleased to see this poacher brought to justice,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resident Agent in Charge Pat Lund, supervisor for Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

“Gluttonous wanton waste like this has no place on refuge lands and has a negative impact on legal, ethical hunting opportunities,” continued Lund.

Prior to this investigation, Welsh had been cited by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 1996 for trespassing and illegally hunting deer in a Minnesota state game refuge, for which Welsh’s hunting privileges were revoked for three years. During an interview in December 2011, Welsh told investigators that, in 1998, while his hunting license was revoked, he hunted using his wife’s deer license and killed a deer and tagged it using his wife’s deer tag. Investigators found and seized this illegally taken deer during the execution of federal and state search warrants at Welsh’s residence in December 2011.

The investigative team discovered that Welsh illegally killed eight white-tailed deer in the closed area of the refuge from 2006 to 2011. Welsh had five of these deer mounted, and simply cut the antlers off the other three. Welsh referred to one of these deer mounts as his “big 8-pointer.” Welsh showed investigators a large tattoo on his back that depicted the skull and antlers of the deer. Welsh also admitted to killing three other deer off the refuge in violation of state law near St. Cloud, Minnesota. A witness told investigators about a fourth deer that Welsh shot at night from a vehicle while using a spotlight.

Investigators re-interviewed Welsh in July 2012, during which time he told investigators he had discarded the five remaining deer that investigators had determined were illegally taken in violation of federal and state laws. In the plea agreement, Welsh agreed to forfeit these five unlawful deer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but failed to make them available to investigators. In all, Welsh forfeited four deer mounts and the antlers from three other illegally taken deer.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would like to recognize the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and their conservation officers, whose assistance in this investigation was instrumental in the successful outcome of this case.

DNR accepting comments on hunting rules

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments through 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 12, on a proposal to make permanent a number of temporary hunting rules that have been in place for at least one hunting season.

The rules pertain to registration of game taken by hunting or trapping, hunter selection and descriptions of various hunting area boundaries such as wild turkey permit areas, deer areas and waterfowl hunting zones.

“Hunters have been applying for licenses and registering game under most of these rules for the past several seasons,” said Jason Abraham, DNR season setting specialist. “By making these temporary rules permanent, we provide additional consistency for hunters and streamline the process for managing a sustainable harvest.”

Many of the rule changes are intended to streamline regulations, reduce paperwork and modify zone boundaries to better match habitat conditions. The rules, summarized below:

• Modify deer tagging provisions.
• Allow deer hunters to apply for an either-sex permit and a special hunt in the same year.
• Allow for online and telephone registration of bears and bait stations.
• Update elk zone boundaries.
• Provide for site validation coupons for fisher, marten and otter.
• Modify farmland furbearer zone.
• Consolidate wild turkey permit areas from 77 smaller areas into nine larger ones.
• Streamline wild turkey license sales procedures.
• Modify and consolidate prairie chicken zone boundaries.
• Moved the prairie chicken license application deadline to the Friday nearest Aug. 17.
• Correct rail and snipe possession limit for consistency with federal regulations.
• Provide for three waterfowl zones and standardize waterfowl season definition.
• Correct Migratory Waterfowl Feeding and Resting Area descriptions and
• Clarify eligibility of hunters and mentors participating in Youth Waterfowl Day.

The proposed rules are published online in the April 7 edition of the State Register.

They are also is available on the DNR website.

Comments may be submitted to: Jason Abraham, Box 20, DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55115-4020 or by emailing jason.abraham@state.mn.us.

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Comments sought on southeastern Minnesota deer population goals

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments through 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 12, on a proposal to make permanent a number of temporary hunting rules that have been in place for at least one hunting season.

The rules pertain to registration of game taken by hunting or trapping, hunter selection and descriptions of various hunting area boundaries such as wild turkey permit areas, deer areas and waterfowl hunting zones.

“Hunters have been applying for licenses and registering game under most of these rules for the past several seasons,” said Jason Abraham, DNR season setting specialist. “By making these temporary rules permanent, we provide additional consistency for hunters and streamline the process for managing a sustainable harvest.”

Many of the rule changes are intended to streamline regulations, reduce paperwork and modify zone boundaries to better match habitat conditions. The rules, summarized below:

• Modify deer tagging provisions.
• Allow deer hunters to apply for an either-sex permit and a special hunt in the same year.
• Allow for online and telephone registration of bears and bait stations.
• Update elk zone boundaries.
• Provide for site validation coupons for fisher, marten and otter.
• Modify farmland furbearer zone.
• Consolidate wild turkey permit areas from 77 smaller areas into nine larger ones.
• Streamline wild turkey license sales procedures.
• Modify and consolidate prairie chicken zone boundaries.
• Moved the prairie chicken license application deadline to the Friday nearest Aug. 17.
• Correct rail and snipe possession limit for consistency with federal regulations.
• Provide for three waterfowl zones and standardize waterfowl season definition.
• Correct Migratory Waterfowl Feeding and Resting Area descriptions and
• Clarify eligibility of hunters and mentors participating in Youth Waterfowl Day.

The proposed rules are published online in the April 7 edition of the State Register.

They are also is available on the DNR website.

Comments may be submitted to: Jason Abraham, Box 20, DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55115-4020 or by emailing jason.abraham@state.mn.us.

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Blaze orange safety requirement reduces hunting accidents

With Minnesota’s small game hunting season underway and the firearm deer season set to begin Nov. 9, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says making a blaze orange fashion statement this fall might not get you on the best-dressed list, but it just might save your life.

“Wearing blaze orange clothing is a safety requirement to hunt or trap during Minnesota’s small game season or deer season,” said Capt. Mike Hammer, DNR enforcement education program coordinator. “It’s important to be seen by others.”

Small Game Seasons: At least one visible article of clothing above the waist must be blaze orange when taking small game, except when hunting wild turkeys, migratory birds, raccoons, predators, when hunting by falconry, trapping or while hunting deer by archery while stationary.

Deer Season: The visible portion of a cap and outer clothing above the waist, excluding sleeves and gloves, must be blaze orange when hunting or trapping during any open season where deer may be taken by firearms (including special hunts, early antlerless, youth seasons and muzzleloader). Blaze orange includes a camouflage pattern of at least 50 percent blaze orange within each square foot. This restriction does not apply to migratory bird hunters on waters or in stationary shooting locations or to trappers on waters.

“The failure to wear to wear blaze orange puts a hunter in jeopardy of not being seen by someone who does not take the time to properly identify their target and what’s beyond it,” Hammer said.

Hammer recommends faded blaze orange garments be replaced.

“Blaze orange, more than any other color, is the most easily seen and recognized bright, unnatural color against a natural background,” Hammer said. “This shade of orange is the only satisfactory color for hunters to wear under all weather and light conditions. The color of the cap, vest, or coat should be plainly visible from all sides while it is being worn.”

From the standpoint of hunter safety, the wearing of this high-visibility color while deer hunting and while small game hunting in heavy cover, such as for grouse and pheasant, is a great communications tool.

“Blaze orange clothing is a tremendous aid in helping hunters maintain visual contact with one another, particularly when moving through dense cover or woods,” Hammer said. “Any hunter who has ever identified someone strictly by seeing blaze orange knows its value in keeping track of other hunters in the field.”

For those that use ground blinds, Hammer said to remember to place some blaze orange on the outside of the blind for others to see. Tent style blinds can fully conceal even the best dressed hunter.

Some safety tips for nonhunters:

• Wear bright clothing. Choose colors that stand out, like red, orange or green, and avoid white, blacks, browns, earth-toned greens and animal-colored clothing. Blaze orange vests and hats are advisable.
• Don’t forget to protect pets. Get an orange vest for an accompanying dog.
• Make noise. Whistle, sing or carry on a conversation when walking to alert hunters that someone is in the area. Sound carries well across woods and forests, and hunters should listen for any sounds of animal movement.
• Be courteous. Don’t make unnecessary noise to disturb wildlife. Avoid confrontations.
• Make presence known. If a nonhunter hears shooting, the person should raise their voice and let hunters know they’re in vicinity.
• Know the dates of hunting seasons. Learn about where and when hunting is taking place.
• If hunting makes a nonhunter uneasy, the nonhunter should choose a hike in a location where hunting is not allowed.

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Minnesota: No surplus either-sex deer permits available for 2013

For the first time since surplus permits were offered in 2007, no leftover either-sex deer permits are available for purchase after the lottery deadline, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said.

The DNR offered 38,850 either-sex permits in 58 deer permit areas this year. Every permit area received applications for at least 100 percent of the permits available.

In lottery deer areas, firearm and muzzleloader license holders who intend to take an antlerless deer must have an either-sex permit; otherwise, they are restricted to hunting bucks. The total bag limit for deer in lottery areas is one deer per year.

Availability of leftover permits has declined since the development of the hunter choice management designation, which was first used in 2011. Similar to lottery areas, hunter choice-designated areas have a bag limit of one deer; however, no limit is placed on the number of available either-sex permits and lottery applications are not required.

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Minnesota Deer Hunting Clinic

Minnesota DNR will offer a deer hunting clinic on August 11th in Mora.  This is a http://www.mndnr.gov/bow.
great opportunity to learn about deer hunting from experts in the field.  There will be information on muzzleloader, archery, shotgun hunting and more.  They will also discuss habitat and hunting methods and safety.  Get more details at

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Reminder from Minnesota DNR: Now is the time to take a hunter safety course

With the fall hunting seasons just around the corner, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) urges hunters to sign up now for a hunter education class.

“Though classes are held throughout the year, their numbers peak in the summer and early fall,” said Capt. Mike Hammer, DNR Enforcement Division education program coordinator. “So now is the time to sign up and complete a course, because once the hunting season gets rolling, it might be too late.”

Besides ensuring the ability to hunt this year, taking the class sooner rather than later means more time for scouting hunting locations, sighting-in rifles, practicing shotgun skills and securing permission to hunt on private lands.

Minnesota hunters born after Dec. 31, 1979, must take a DNR hunter education firearms safety training course and receive a certificate of completion before buying a license for big or small game.

Classes are taught by DNR certified volunteers in their local communities. Students, depending on their age, have a few options to become certified. Regardless of which option they choose the course provides them with basic safe firearms handling skills, wildlife identification, outdoor skills and responsibility that accompanies hunting and firearms use.

Classes fill-up fast. Find a class and sign up today or call 651-296-6157 or toll-free 888-646-6367.

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DNR mailing deer survey to hunters and landowners in southwestern Minnesota

About 8,000 landowners and hunters across 14 southwestern Minnesota counties will receive deer surveys from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) this spring.

Results from the in-depth survey will help the DNR better understand the experiences and attitudes of hunters and landowners about deer and deer hunting in southwestern Minnesota, said Gino D’Angelo, DNR deer project leader.

“We hope to get a high response rate on this survey,” D’Angelo said. “This will be one factor in helping us determine whether changes in deer hunting regulations are necessary to meet deer population goals in the future.”

Hunter surveys will be mailed to about 3,600 adult firearm hunters who indicated they hunt in southwestern Minnesota. The survey will ask questions about hunting success, deer populations and interest in management techniques such as antler point restrictions, buck-only hunting, youth-only seasons and varied dates for seasons.

Landowner surveys will be mailed to approximately 4,400 landowners owning at least 160 acres in southwestern Minnesota. They will be asked about the impact deer or other wildlife have had on their land, whether or not they hunted and ideas they have for deer management in their area.

Surveys will be sent in three separate mailings in March and April. Preliminary results from the surveys are expected this summer.

Counties included in the survey are Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Watonwan and Yellow Medicine.

More information on deer in Minnesota can be found here.

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No bovine TB found in northwestern Minnesota deer; disease monitoring and management program ended

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After eight years of monitoring and aggressive management, bovine tuberculosis (TB) is undetectable in wild deer in northwestern Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Bovine TB was first discovered in area cattle operations and wild deer near Skime, Minn., in 2005.

“We have accomplished what many believed was not possible,” said Michelle Carstensen, DNR wildlife health program supervisor. “By reducing the incidence of TB in wild deer to an undetectable level and hopefully eliminating it, Minnesota has become an international example on how to successfully respond to a disease outbreak that has a significant wildlife component.”

None of 325 deer harvested during the 2012 firearms season tested positive for the disease, marking the third consecutive year of negative TB testing results and ending DNR sampling of hunter-harvested deer in a 164-square-mile disease management zone.

Cooperation from farmers, landowners and hunters allowed DNR and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health to successfully combat the disease outbreak. Bovine TB is a progressive and chronic bacterial disease that primarily affects cattle but also infects wildlife.

“These people made significant sacrifices to make sure Minnesota livestock and wildlife are free of this disease,” said Bill Hartmann, state veterinarian and executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. “Their cooperation does not go unnoticed.”

Minnesota regained its TB-free status in cattle in 2011, but the DNR continued testing wild deer until achieving three consecutive years of negative findings for bovine TB. This provides assurance that the disease has been controlled in wildlife as well.

“We appreciated the patience of hunters as we managed this disease,” said Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader.

The deer population was reduced throughout the TB management zone through the use of liberalized hunting seasons. Landowner shooting permits, aerial shooting, and sharpshooting by professional contractors were also used in the core area where the TB positive deer were found. “We recognize that this had a significant impact on hunters’ opportunities to harvest deer,” McInenly said. “We’re looking forward to increasing deer densities in the area back to goal levels.”

This will be accomplished through more conservative regulations limiting harvest of antlerless deer, allowing the population to grow.

“Deer populations are resilient and history has shown that they can recover in a short period of time when harvest is restricted,” McInenly said.

Carstensen said the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and its Roseau River chapter were particularly helpful during disease surveillance efforts by sponsoring a firearm raffle each year to help encourage hunters to submit harvested deer for sampling.

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Minnesota deer harvest declines 4 percent in 2012

Minnesota hunters harvested 184,649 deer during the 2012 season, down 4 percent from 2011, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The decline reflects the fact that hunters had fewer chances to harvest antlerless deer because the 2012 season was designed to help stabilize and increase populations, said Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader. “We expected the reduction,” she said.

Firearms hunters harvested 155,599 deer while archery and muzzleloader hunters harvested 21,556 and 7,494 deer, respectively. The statewide archery harvest was up 5 percent, muzzleloader harvest increased 1 percent and firearm harvest was down 5 percent from last year.

The DNR will conduct aerial surveys over portions of the state later this winter. Population modeling, coupled with select aerial surveys, will be used to determine deer density. Management designations for 2013 deer permit areas will be determined once the new density estimates are compared to established population goals.

“Hunters should pay close attention to the hunting synopsis, which comes out in mid-July, to see if they need to apply for a lottery either-sex permit,” McInenly said.

The final deer harvest number is calculated using information provided by hunters when they register their deer. A final report, which includes more detailed harvest information, will be available online in the coming weeks atwww.mndnr.gov/deer.

For the 2013 season, the deadline for the either-sex permit application is Thursday, Sept. 5. Archery deer hunting begins Saturday, Sept. 14. Firearms deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 9. Muzzleloader season opens Saturday, Nov. 30.

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Minnesota Deer Hunting Applications Due Sept. 6

Deer hunting licenses are now available for purchase. Hunters who want an either-sex deer or special hunt permit for the coming season must apply by Thursday, Sept. 6, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Hunters should carefully review the list of lottery areas, because many of these permit areas have not been lottery areas for a significant period of time. Currently, 58 of the state’s 127 permit areas are lottery areas.
Many of these areas, focused in the northwest, north central and a portion of northeast Minnesota, were designated lottery areas in response to hunter desire to see higher deer populations.
People can purchase a deer license and apply for the lottery or a special hunt at any DNR license agent, by telephone at 888-665-4236 or online. Lottery winners will be notified in October.
Hunters can apply for lottery deer areas and special hunts using both their firearm and muzzleloader licenses. Although a hunter can be selected for both licenses, successful applicants still can only take one deer. In the case of special hunts, a person may draw both a firearm and muzzleloader permit, in which case they must adhere to the bag limits established by each special hunt.
Lottery deer areas in 2012 are permit areas 103, 108, 110, 118, 119, 122, 169, 171, 172, 183, 184, 197, 199, 234, 235, 237, 238, 250, 251, 252, 253, 258, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298 and 299.
DNR encourages hunters to review new deer hunting regulations, permit area designations and boundary changes before applying. Current and up-to-date information is available online or  and www.mndnr.gov/regulations/hunting.

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Fawns born in May; DNR urges people to leave them alone

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

May is the month when most fawns are born. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is urging people to leave fawns and other wildlife alone.
While a new fawn may appear helpless, it is important to stay away and not interfere with the doe’s natural instinct for raising its young.
A doe’s method of rearing offspring is different from a human’s, especially for the first few weeks. Within hours of birth, the fawn is led to a secluded spot and the doe lets it nurse.
With a full stomach, the fawn is content to lie down and rest. If the doe has twins, it will hide the second fawn up to 200 feet away. Then the doe leaves to feed and rest herself, out of sight but within earshot. In four or five hours, she will return to feed her young and take them to a new hiding place. They follow this pattern for two to three weeks, and only then, when the fawns are strong enough to outrun predators, do the young travel much with their mother.
Deer have evolved a number of special adaptations that make this approach to fawn rearing successful. Fawns have almost no odor, so predators cannot smell them. Their white spotted coats provide excellent camouflage when they are lying on the forest floor. For the first week of life, frightened fawns instinctively freeze, making full use of their protective coloration.
Older fawns remain motionless until they think they have been discovered, and then jump and bound away. A deer’s primary protection from predators is its great speed. Newborn fawns are not fast enough to outdistance predators, so they must depend on their ability to hide for protection.
Although these adaptations work well against predators, they don’t work very well with people. For the first few weeks, a fawn’s curiosity may entice it to approach a person who comes upon it.
What’s the right way to handle an encounter with a fawn? Never try to catch it. If it’s hiding, admire it for a moment and then quietly walk away. Enjoy the memory, but don’t describe the location to others. If the fawn tries to follow, gently push on its shoulders until it lies down, and then walk away. That’s what its mother does when she doesn’t want the fawn to follow. Leaving fawns alone gives them the best chance for survival. Even most orphaned fawns are best suited to survive without human intervention.
Never feed or place a collar on a fawn or other wild animal. Collaring a wild animal sets it apart from others and increases the likelihood for harm to the animal. Collared wild animals are not protected from hunting or animal control activities by law enforcement.
Conditioning any wild animal to seek human-provided food will cause them to stop seeking their natural food sources. Feeding deer can be especially problematic because it encourages the transmission of animal disease such as chronic wasting disease (CWD). CWD can be spread through saliva when multiple deer eat from the same food source – such as feeders or piles of feed left on the ground.
Feeding deer can concentrate animals in feeding areas, which makes them more susceptible to predation, vehicle collisions or other unwanted human interactions. What begins as a good intention to help the animal, ultimately promotes disease and lessens the animal’s ability to survive independently.
Not all animals survive, and some mortality is a natural occurrence. For more information about an interacting with a wild animal, contact a local DNR area wildlife office for suggestions. In most cases, letting nature take its course is the best advice.

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• Three more cases of CWD found in free-ranging deer in Macon County, Missouri

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Minnesota Hunting and Fishing More Expensive

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The price of Minnesota hunting and fishing licenses will increase in March 2013 for the first time in 12 years, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said.
On Thursday, May 3, Gov. Mark Dayton signed a House- and Senate-approved bill that, among other things, raises the cost of an annual resident fishing license from $17 to $22 and a resident deer hunting license from $26 to $30. Most resident youth hunting and fishing licenses will be $5 or free. Youth under 16 do not need a fishing or small game hunting license.

License fee increases were widely supported by hunting, fishing and conservation organizations. The last general license fee increase was approved in 2000 and implemented in 2001.
“This action was critical to maintaining the world class fishing and hunting that Minnesota enjoys,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “I appreciate all the efforts of the organized groups and the individual hunters, anglers, trappers and others who supported new license prices. I also thank the Legislature for its bipartisan leadership and support on this important conservation initiative.”
Enacting the license fee bill maintains the solvency of the state’s Game and Fish Fund for the remainder of this biennium, which ends June 30, 2013. New revenue will begin to come into the game and fish fund in March 2013. The DNR estimates the fees will generate about $5 million in fiscal 2013 and approximately $10 million per year in following years.
“The fishing and hunting community has spoken that they are willing to pay for good conservation,” said Landwehr. “We will put these dollars to their highest and best use for game and fish management and enforcement. That means providing the results that hunters, anglers and the conservation community are asking for.”
Landwehr said specific uses of new license fee revenues will be proposed in the months ahead as the agency develops a biennial budget proposal that the governor will submit to the Legislature in January 2013

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• Michigan: NRC Approves Mentored Youth Hunting Program for 2012 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

Walk-In Access enrollment deadline June 1

Department of Natural Resources Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A June 1 deadline is in place for landowners in 21 southwestern Minnesota counties to earn money by allowing public hunting on their private land through the Walk-In Access (WIA) program, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Privately owned parcels of 40 acres or more, which are already enrolled in a conservation program such as Conservation Reserve Program or Reinvest In Minnesota, may qualify for WIA. River bottoms, wetlands and other high quality habitat will also be considered for the program.
WIA pays landowners by the acre to allow hunting access. Bonuses are added if more than 140 contiguous acres are enrolled, if the land is within one-half mile of existing state or federal hunting land, or if a multi-year agreement is signed. Local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offices are handling program details and enrollments.
This is a voluntary program for landowners. Recreational use laws provide extra liability protection for WIA acres.
WIA land is for public hunting only. No target practice, trapping, dog training, camping, horseback riding or fires are allowed. Enrolled acres are for walk-in traffic only; no vehicles are allowed on conservation land. Parking is along roads or in designated parking areas. DNR conservation officers will address trespass and hunting violations.
Once private land is enrolled in the program, bright yellow-green hexagon signs are placed at the property boundaries.
A map of the 21 counties involved in the program and more information on WIA can be found online or by calling Marybeth Block, DNR Walk-in Access coordinator, at 651-259-5223.
Locations of parcels enrolled for 2012 will be on the website in August. WIA is a partnership between the DNR, SWCD, Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) and U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is funding the first two years of the program.

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Minnesota DNR seeks input on deer populations

Department of Natural Resources Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Public input on revised deer population goals in southwestern and north-central Minnesota is being collected through an online survey on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) website.
Earlier this year, the DNR worked with three stakeholder teams to help re-determine deer population goals in 12 permit areas in the southwest and 10 permit areas in north-central Minnesota.
The teams represented such interests as deer hunters, landowners, businesses, counties and conservation/environmental groups, and met to recommend if deer populations should be increased, decreased or stabilized for each of the selected permit areas.
The online survey allows the public to react to team recommendations and inform the DNR on their point of view regarding deer populations. A similar process was used as a final step to gather public input in 2008.
This information, along with the stakeholder team recommendations, will be used to set the 2012 deer season. Deer population goals for the remainder of the state will be revaluated in the next year or two.
“Back in 2008, hundreds of people provided us input using the internet,” said Steve Merchant, DNR Wildlife Population Program manager. “This year we expect that level of public participation to increase even more.”
Public comment will be accepted through Monday, May 1. Once public input is complete and results are analyzed, a decision on deer populations will be made for each permit area and the 2012 deer season harvest strategies will be adjusted accordingly.
Written comments may be mailed to: Steve Merchant, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Box 20, 500 Lafayette Road, Saint Paul, MN 55155.

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