Last weekend, Minnesota's 475,000 deer hunters took to their stands in search of the next record buck.
Unusually, friendly weather greeted the hunters. It was nothing but sunny skies and warm temperatures for the first day of the season. This warmer weather was nice for hunters who are used to battling the cold and wind.
It is still too early to gauge the results of the hunt but many hunters reported success.
"My party did really well—we saw over 20 bucks and everyone was chasing does," said senior Jordan Moss. "We shot a few nice bucks and one real freak nasty monster...14 pointer!"
Other hunters are still waiting to see the big one.
Unusually, friendly weather greeted the hunters. It was nothing but sunny skies and warm temperatures for the first day of the season. This warmer weather was nice for hunters who are used to battling the cold and wind.
It is still too early to gauge the results of the hunt but many hunters reported success.
"My party did really well—we saw over 20 bucks and everyone was chasing does," said senior Jordan Moss. "We shot a few nice bucks and one real freak nasty monster...14 pointer!"
Other hunters are still waiting to see the big one.
"[I] didn't want to shoot a fork, and all the does that I saw had fawns with them," said Junior Brandon Yetter.
Yetter and other hunters still have plenty of time to spend afield, with most zones staying open for another week or two.
Deer hunting in Minnesota is a major pastime, generating over $263 million in retail sales. Much of this spending benefits greater Minnesota and is a help to many local economies.
5,100 jobs are directly supported by hunters, and the overall economic impact is estimated at $455 million.
It’s no wonder why hunters can find just about anything made in blaze orange these days!
Minnesota's deer herd averages about 1 million in size. Hunters harvest around 250,000 animals each year, or about a quarter of the population.
This number may seem quite high, but many of these animals would have died due to starvation and disease if hunters did not take them.
In 2008, 38% of firearms hunters filled their tags, taking 222,000 deer—the eighth highest harvest on record. Of those, 43% were antlered bucks.
Yetter and other hunters still have plenty of time to spend afield, with most zones staying open for another week or two.
Deer hunting in Minnesota is a major pastime, generating over $263 million in retail sales. Much of this spending benefits greater Minnesota and is a help to many local economies.
5,100 jobs are directly supported by hunters, and the overall economic impact is estimated at $455 million.
It’s no wonder why hunters can find just about anything made in blaze orange these days!
Minnesota's deer herd averages about 1 million in size. Hunters harvest around 250,000 animals each year, or about a quarter of the population.
This number may seem quite high, but many of these animals would have died due to starvation and disease if hunters did not take them.
In 2008, 38% of firearms hunters filled their tags, taking 222,000 deer—the eighth highest harvest on record. Of those, 43% were antlered bucks.
With the success of the last few years, changes were made to the regulations to ensure the stability of the deer herds. The harvest count for 2009 should be less, with fewer deer allowed in many zones.
Still, hunters are optimistic as they continue to pursue their hunting passion. Even though 75% of all deer taken are tagged in the first four days, there is still hope for those who continue to try their patience in the stand.
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