St. Paul — Minnesota’s youth deer season will take place statewide, Thursday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 20.
To participate, youth must be 10 to 17 years old and have a deer-hunting license. Participant numbers are not limited and there is no special permit, so parents should purchase or obtain a regular deer-hunting license for each youth who will be hunting. Youth may not tag antlerless deer or legal bucks taken by another individual. An adult parent, guardian, or mentor must accompany youth ages 10 to 13.
All hunters and mentors, regardless of whether they are participating in youth deer season, must follow blaze orange/pink clothing requirements.
Adults may not hunt, unless they are in an area open during the early antlerless season and have a valid license. Complete youth season details are available on the Minnesota DNR youth deer season webpage.
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EARLY ANTLERLESS-ONLY DEER SEASON IS OCT. 17-20
St. Paul — Hunters may participate in an early antlerless-only deer season from Thursday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 20. The season increases opportunities for hunters in deer permit areas where deer populations are above population goals or where there is an increased risk of chronic wasting disease. Permit areas open during the hunt are 214, 215, 218, 219, 221, 222, 223, 225, 227, 229, 236, 341, 605, 642, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 661, and 701.
The Minnesota DNR offers this opportunity to hunters to manage local deer herds. The bag limit is three antlerless deer, and deer taken during the early antlerless-only season do not count against the statewide bag limit.
Before participating, hunters should review the specific license and permit requirements available on Page 88 of the Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations.
VNP, CONSERVANCY ACQUIRE SITE ON RAINY LAKE
International Falls, Minn. — The National Park Service, in collaboration with Voyageurs Conservancy, has acquired and permanently preserved a 51-acre site on Rainy Lake, furthering conservation efforts within Voyageurs National Park.
This acquisition marks a milestone in the ongoing mission to protect natural habitats and parklands for public enjoyment. Park Superintendent Bob DeGross expressed his appreciation to the Ramsey family for their contribution to the park.
The property was previously owned by Michael Ramsey and his sister Shelley Paiko, whose connection to the land spans three generations. Their grandfather, Everett Ramsey, originally purchased the property in 1958, prior to the establishment of Voyageurs National Park. The family constructed a cabin on the land, which became a retreat and was rebuilt at one point after a lightning strike. The newly acquired site on Big Island is accessible only by water and is approximately 18 miles east of the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.
The acquisition of privately-owned lands within Voyageurs National Park remains a top priority for both the National Park Service and Voyageurs Conservancy.
BHA, DNR TO HOST ‘PINT NIGHTS’ THIS FALL
St. Paul — For the third consecutive year, the Minnesota Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers is teaming up with the Minnesota DNR to offer a series of educational nights out to learn about white-tailed deer and chronic wasting disease.
The free “pint nights” will include demonstrations on lymph node removal, free CWD test kids, and prizes. The first Pint Night will be held Oct. 10 from 5-8 p.m. at Wildwood Sports Bar & Grill in Rochester and is hosted also by the Bluffland Whitetails Association.
For a list of event locations and times, visit here.
ZEBRA MUSSELS CONFIRMED IN ANN LAKE IN SHERBURNE COUNTY
St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Ann Lake, near Orrock in Sherburne County.
Following up on an earlier unconfirmed report of zebra mussels in Ann Lake, the Sherburne County Soil and Water Conservation District and a volunteer, in partnership with the DNR, collected water samples from the lake on two different days. The samples showed high counts of zebra mussel larvae, called veligers. The presence of veligers indicates zebra mussel reproduction in the lake.
People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist if they think they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species that was not already known to be in a water body.
More information is available on the aquatic invasive species page of the DNR website.