Minnesota Deer Hunting Opener 2011
The 2011 Minnesota deer hunting season is officially open.
I am coming to you from my deer stand in Kelsey, MN. It has been pretty quite morning thus far for our hunting party, but the season is still young. Hopefully we harvest a few over the next few days.
How have others faired around the northland this season?
Good luck and be safe!
Kelsey? There aren’t any deer there! All the deer are hiding out in Duluth, dummy.
Is Sanitary Harry’s still open up there?
Harvest? Don’t you mean murder?
One man’s harvest is another man’s murder. Let the killing begin!!!!
White-tailed deer are an invasive species. I’m no hunter, but I prefer that someone shoot and eat these pests in order to reduce the likelihood of me murdering them with my car.
Can anyone tell me why there is still a moose hunting season? (sorry for the slightly off-topic question)
1. https://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/116419594.html
2. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/julaug08/moose.html
I have the same question about moose — and also wonder why people hunt bears.
Deer may be an invasive species but they pale into comparison next to humans. Those bastards get everywhere.
We need a super predator who hunts human hunters to make it fair game.
@digit3 — They’re called cougars.
‘That cougar I met last night, showed me shit I didn’t know existed, I’m goin back for more.’
What’s wrong with hunting? It is the ultimate free-range, organic meat you can get. Furthermore, for a lot of families, a deer or two puts meat in the freezer that if they had to buy, would be a whole lot less, if any at all. Now that food shelves take venison, hunting benefits a much larger group of individuals than ever before. I can’t understand individuals who are so anti-hunting, especially if they eat meat of any kind.
As for moose and bear hunting, some people like chicken, others beef. Some people like moose or bear meat. As long as the hunted animal is not being left to rot, what is the issue? At least with hunting, most of the population will live, unlike farm-raised animals who are raised for 100% slaughter.
Humans have hunted since their existence, and will do so for long after all of us our gone. It can be a deep spiritual experience.
If you don’t feel like doing it great, but don’t knock those who do for any variety of reasons listed above or even ones that may not be.
Subsistence hunting is quite a bit different than trophy hunting.
Jadiaz – If you read the linked articles, you’ll learn that the moose population is MN has been in decline for a couple of decades. Thus, the question: why is there a moose hunting season when their numbers are getting so low? I wasn’t querying about people’s preferences for “taste.” Moose meat is probably delicious.
It may be in decline, but obviously has not reached a point where the population is in danger or they would stop the hunt. The DNR must have it under control.
Moose meat tastes waaaay better than venison. I think the reason we still have a moose season is that it is a right granted to Native Americans through the Treaty of 1854 AND if you let a minority do something, lots of white people will complain loudly if they can’t do it, too. Now, that being said, the state isn’t handing out moose permits like candy. It’s a lottery system and not that many people actually are hunting moose (unlike deer hunters, of which there are thousands). Also realize that wildlife biologists gather a lot of data through hunters and hunting.
I’ve nothing against hunting I just find the use of the word harvest to be dishonest. I’ll stick to harvesting the garden.
“Harvest” is a perennial discussion on PDD.
Actually TimK there are some 500,000 licensed deer hunters in Minnesota, and a similar number in Wisconsin.
Harvesting does kind of make it sound like you’re picking them up and putting them in your basket. I miss the days when you would simply strap a deer to your front bumper. Speaking of things we miss, they don’t even make bumpers like that anymore. Bumpers now are meant to sustain at least 1k in damage. Does anyone still hunt with a ’72 Buick Riviera? That would be pimp. A big belt buckle, a buck knife that folds out 12 inches, a big foam baseball cap advertising an excavating company. I would hit up so many country bars on the way home, that deer would be foul before I got back.
I don’t care what it’s called but as a non-hunter, I’d love to be able to purchase some fresh venison chops and tenderloins. Any prolific hunters willing to sell some harvest?
Metalist- yes, thousands, 500 thousand.
@CFechner – thanks for the fresh 2011 deer hunting post. It was a tough day to hunt with the wind, no snow etc.
@Digit3 – The world would be a much different place if the Short Faced Bear survived the Pleistocene.
The moose issue – In 2001 I was able to capitalize profoundly on the once in a lifetime moose hunt in MN. At that time there were appx. 1400 applicants for 240 or so tags. About 40% of the hunting parties were successful that year.
Moose in Minnesota may survive for another few decades but in a warming world they pant to cool off over 52 degrees and hence cannot consume food thus they lose weight and body mass and become weaker etc. Additionally, they cannot deal with the brain parasite which is prevalent but which does not affect deer. Not known for their smarts some moose simply will not figure out that north means cooler temps – and thus life.
These things have always happened though; the last woodland caribou in Minnesota was shot in the 1930’s near Ely. They had been here for eons.
Venison, moose, elk, and bison are all exceptopnally healthy meats. I believe deer are a weed species and just like a logger harvesting timer and hunter needs to harvest deer, to cull the herd.
Bear is a traditional Spirit animal. I do not pursue them due to that fact and the means with which they are ‘hunted’.
Sanitary Harry’s closed about 9 years ago. I never got to have a beer there, though I did stop for a coke one time when I was 20 and headed from the Range to Duluth. Wish it was still open.
ah shucks, I am falling for the bait. No I don’t bait. BUT, I like to eat an animal that’s wild and roaming free.(I eat farmed animals also) Just like others like to eat wild salmon. Funny thing is deer won’t be on the extinction list any time soon compared to wild salmon. If your concern is for deer you should be more concerned about the “need” to eat only wild salmon. Eat your hearts out! I can’t wait to sink my pearly whites into a tenderloin.
oh and I haven’t killed anything yet.
Cory – My first three days in the stand were pretty slow. I’m going to blame the lack of deer movement on the wind.
I did spend the majority of Sunday worrying about the possibility of my stand tipping over from the wind gusts.
Wind was a big factor this opening weekend I did not get any deer but sure was cold trying.
But I, like Rae, had some fun getting blown around in my tree stand for a few days.
The MN DNR is saying the opening weekend Harvest (Murdering – whatever you want to call it) was down 19%.
— From MN DNR Website —
Read More : https://news.dnr.state.mn.us/2011/11/10/opening-weekend-deer-harvest-off-slightly-from-last-year/
It’s an easy formula Cory, one more year in time for the average American male’s modernification, equals 12.37 percent decline in harvest, plus or minus for wind and weather. In five years, they’ll be like rabbits down under. Donny Rogers needs to factor this in when issuing permits and multi-zone tags. It should be all bets off for deer within the city limits. There should be an anything-but-ballistics open season, year round. How many were there in the first place?
Big Spike. Thankful.