Minnesota residents interested in deer can comment on the Department of Natural Resources’ draft statewide deer management plan now through Wednesday, May 9.
Public comment is welcome at one of the 35 public open houses to be held around the state in April where people can talk to wildlife managers, ask questions and provide input.
Online, comments can be submitted here.
An open house hosted by DNR Tower area wildlife staff will be held April 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mountain Iron Community Center, 8586 Enterprise Drive, Mountain Iron, Minn.
There will be no formal presentation at the meetings. Instead, local wildlife staff will provide handouts explaining the deer plan and process and will talk with attendees individually and in small groups. People can arrive anytime during the two-hour time frame.
“We’re setting a course for deer management that encourages more dialogue among stakeholders, the public, and DNR staff,” said Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner. “Our ultimate goal is to support our hunting traditions, better engage the public, and to maintain sustainable, healthy deer populations throughout Minnesota.”
Part of the plan outlines how the DNR will prioritize its resources and activities to meet the plan’s eight key goals which range from keeping Minnesota deer healthy to ensuring biological and societal factors are considered in management decisions.
“The plan recognizes the diversity of interests, considers multiple objectives, and is informed by the best available science,” said Leslie McInenly, acting wildlife populations and programs manager. “It also factors in ways to reduce the negative impacts deer can have on people and the landscape.”
The plan establishes an annual statewide harvest target of 200,000 deer. Although only one of several performance measures outlined in the plan, the harvest target will help communicate how the DNR is meeting overall population goals through time.
In general, annual harvests less than 200,000 will indicate a need for more conservative regulations to rebuild deer populations. Harvests greater than 200,000 will suggest hunting regulations need to be liberalized so more deer are harvested to reduce populations.
McInenly said the plan doesn’t address the details of specific regulations or operational issues but plots a long-term strategic direction for managing the herd.
For more than a year, a 19-member citizen’s advisory group helped the DNR draft the deer plan. The group’s members had knowledge of deer management, interests related to deer and familiarity with different areas of the state.
The online questionnaire asks people to indicate their level of satisfaction with the purpose, mission, vision and goals of the plan and provides opportunity for people to give additional feedback on whether the plan reflects the conversation and public input over the last few years.
Find the questionnaire here. Also available is information on all public meetings and times scheduled in communities throughout the state.
The 35 open-house meetings in April will “provide an opportunity to learn more about the plan, ask questions, and meet the local staff who help manage wildlife and habitat,” McInenly said.
For those who can’t make the meetings, citizens are encouraged to contact their local wildlife manager for additional information or to address any questions they may have about the deer plan. A list of area wildlife offices is available online.