Minnesota's archery deer season opens Saturday, and interest never has been higher.
Twenty years ago, 86,000 hunters bought archery licenses. But in each of the past four years, more than 100,000 hunters have bought archery licenses.
They're hoping for a better year than last year, when they bagged 19,388 whitetails, the lowest archery harvest since 2002. The 14.5 percent success rate was the lowest in 24 years.
Archers should know that the bucks-only management strategy, which will be more widespread this fall, will apply to archery hunters, youth hunters and hunters with disability permits.
In a bucks-only harvest area, all hunters may harvest one legal buck — no matter the hunter or the weapon used. In a lottery area, archers, youth and disabled hunters may harvest an antlerless deer without being drawn for an antlerless permit.
Another change: Hunters age 60 and older may use a crossbow during the regular archery season. As always, check out the 2014 regulations booklet for details.
