Comments sought on proposed Minnesota deer population goals
Comments on proposed deer population goals recommended by citizen advisory teams in 40 of Minnesota’s 128 deer permit areas will be accepted Thursday, April 2, through Wednesday, April 15, on the Department of Natural Resources website at http://www.mndnr.gov/deer.
The DNR will evaluate advisory team recommendations and public comments on those recommendations before determining the final deer population goal for each of five goal-setting blocks. Once goals are established, the DNR will announce those goals, and wildlife managers will implement harvest strategies to meet and maintain them.
“We’ve used a fairly extensive process to revisit deer population goals in large portions of northeastern, north-central and east-central Minnesota,” said Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader. “To date, the public engagement process has included public meetings, opt-in questionnaires and written comments, and most recently, the assistance of citizen advisory teams to review public input and provide recommendations for revised deer population goals.”
The DNR also conducted statistically representative surveys of hunters and landowners in the five goal-setting blocks to learn about their perceptions and attitudes.
People serving on the advisory committees represent a cross-section of interests including archery, firearm and muzzleloader hunters; area residents and landowners; farmers; land managers, local government staff and appointed officials; local business owners; and members of hunting, conservation and agricultural organizations.
Specific population goal recommendations will be posted online, along with the factors advisory team members cited when making recommendations. People should review this supporting information before submitting comments, which will only be accepted online at http://www.mndnr.gov/deer.
Revisiting deer population goals began in 2012, when similar area teams helped set new goals for some permit areas in the Windom, Floodwood and Tower areas. Last year, new goals were set for southeastern Minnesota. The DNR plans to have new goals in place for all Minnesota deer permit areas before the 2016 firearms deer season.
More information on the process is available on the DNR’s deer management Web page at http://www.mndnr.gov/deer.
