Northwoods Experience: MN Seeing Higher Deer Harvest Numbers This Year

More than 400,000 Minnesotans are taking advantage the great outdoors for the state firearms deer hunting season this year.

Through Monday, more than 121,000 deer have been harvested in 2025. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, roughly 65,000 deer were harvested over the firearms opening weekend alone, surpassing the state’s average of 59,000 over the last five years.

“About 35% of all deer that are harvested in the state of Minnesota in a given year are actually harvested during that opening weekend of firearms,” explained Minnesota DNR Big Game Program Coordinator Paul Burr. “Overall, [it’s been a] very successful firearm season so far. Compared to last year, we’re up about 9, 10%. That’s just showing more hunters are harvesting more deer and that’s kind of statewide, too.”

License sales are also up 1-2% this year, with the DNR recording over 380,000 firearm licenses. It’s music to the ears of longtime deer hunting enthusiasts.

“My whole family, both sides, have been hunting forever, really,” said avid deer hunter Logan Veo. “I can remember being as little as maybe four years old and going out and being super excited to see the deer that my dad or that my mom shot.”

He continued, “Every hunter remembers their first deer. I think I was 12 years old. It’s just so much fun and something that’s fun to do with your family as well.”

The increase in hunters is coinciding well with an increase in Minnesota’s deer population statewide, excluding the Northeastern region. However, the DNR has noted higher numbers in deer harvests within the Northeast, signaling a reduced winter mortality rate.

“Cold temperatures and deep snows especially really impact their survival,” Burr said. “Food is buried under snow. They’re going to rely more heavily on those fat reserves as those deplete. Even if they do make it out of the winter, they’re going to come out in a lot rougher shape. But, when we get mild winters, especially multiple in a row, that really lets the deer population bounce back.”

While the numbers are looking up for the Minnesota deer population and for hunters, chronic wasting disease mitigation is still very much the same never-ending battle. Both the DNR and avid hunters understand the value in following proper protocol.

“There’s a lot of things going against us with this disease,” stated Burr. “It’s very hard to really get ahead because there is no treatment and it’s always fatal. One of the best ways that we can hopefully get ahead of this is through monitoring.”

“We want to have a healthy population, gets more people interested in hunting, and [it’s] just good for the overall ecosystem of everything, not just the deer,” added Veo.

The firearms deer hunting season continues in 100-series deer permit areas through November 23. Muzzleloader deer season opens November 29 and continues through December 14.

More information on deer hunting in Minnesota can be found on the Minnesota DNR website.