ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has unveiled a statewide deer plan aimed at growing and managing a disease-free deer population.
The 50-page plan features eight broad goals that cover topics ranging from research to keeping Minnesota’s deer populations healthy to how the DNR and the public work together on deer management.
The most-discussed part of the vision is a statewide harvest target. The DNR says will track annual harvests in relation to a general statewide harvest target of 200,000 deer per year.
The effort follows two years of planning with citizens and stakeholders.
“We’ve listened, and the plan reflects that,” said Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner. “The document is largely about sharing a vision, clarifying expectations and improving two-way communication among hunters and other stakeholders for the benefit of deer management.”
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Minnesota’s wild deer herd will be a top priority for the DNR in the near term. The plan offers direction to eliminate CWD in wild deer and minimize the risk of new introductions.
“The long-term health of Minnesota’s wild deer and the need to work aggressively to eliminate the disease if possible was a key concern raised by the advisory committee and members of the public during plan review,” said Leslie McInenly, the DNR wildlife manager who coordinated the plan.
