Deer Hunters Contribute to Minnesota’s Economy During Firearms Season

Blaze orange will be the color of the day – or the weekend, for that matter – in the Lakeland viewing area for the 2024 firearms deer hunting opener.

Although deer license sales are down slightly from this time last year, more than 160,000 licenses were purchased as of last week, and 400,000 hunters are expected to take part during this year’s hunting season in Minnesota. And those hunters will make an impact beyond their efforts in the woods.

“This is so popular that it, actually, we can measure the economic impact of deer hunting, too,” said Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Sarah Strommen. “Hunting in general generates about $1 billion a year for Minnesota. And one of the things that I love about deer seasons, and you can really visibly see that economic impact when you see small communities across Minnesota flooded with hunters in their blaze orange, you see that impact that they’re having in the restaurants and the gas stations and places around the communities.”

You can learn more about the deer hunting outlook for hunters this year here.