With
nearly 500,000 firearms deer hunters in the state, the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources encourages hunters to purchase their
licenses early to avoid long lines and any potential system issues
associated with the high sales volume. The 2016 Minnesota firearms deer
season begins Saturday, Nov. 5.
“Don’t wait
until the last minute to buy a deer license. There can be long lines of
people waiting to buy licenses in the days before deer opener. Last
year we sold more than 145,000 licenses the Thursday and Friday before
opener,” said Steve Michaels, DNR licensing program director. “Buy early
and you can spend more time getting ready to hunt and enjoying time
with family and friends.”
Deer licenses can be purchased at DNR license agents across Minnesota, by phone at 888-665-4236 or online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense.
There are additional fees for telephone and internet transactions. Deer
licenses and tags ordered by phone and internet take three to five
business days to arrive, so hunters who choose these options should
allow enough time for delivery. Hunters must have a valid deer license
and tag in their possession when hunting deer.
Hunters need to be familiar with deer hunting regulations, which are available at any DNR license agent or online at www.mndnr.gov/regulations/hunting. License questions should be directed to the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367.Maintaining
quality habitat to support an appropriate population level is good for
deer, deer hunters and the habitats that sustain them. Deer populations,
which vary in density from place to place and year to year are
influenced by the severity of winter weather. Deer are ecologically,
socially and economically important in a state where hunting and
wildlife watching generate more than $1.3 billion in annual economic
impact.
