Despite objections from the Minnesota's largest deer hunters group, new deer population goals have been established by the Department of Natural Resources for large portions of northeastern, north-central and east-central Minnesota.
The goals, which cover 40 of 128 deer permit areas in the state, were set despite complaints this spring by the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association that the process was flawed. The 20,000-member group had asked the DNR to delay the plan.
The agency declined but will postpone similar work on 54 remaining deer permit areas scheduled to be examined in 2016, pending the outcome of a legislative audit of the state's deer population management program.
"These new goals will result in management to increase deer numbers in relation to last year's levels in most of the 40 permit areas," said Steve Merchant, DNR wildlife populations manager. "The new goals largely reflect the desires shared by stakeholders who participated in the deer goal-setting process and generally reflect the public feedback we've heard during the past few years."
In the DNR goal-setting process, citizen advisory teams weren't allowed to make recommendations for population increases of more than 50 percent. The Deer Hunters Association argued that in many cases, population increases of greater than that amount were warranted.
"I'm disappointed but not very surprised they didn't go above 50 percent," said Craig Engwall, executive director of the group.
DNR Fish and Wildlife Division Director Ed Boggess said his agency decided to set the 2015 population goals because citizens wanted them increased, and if the agency had postponed the decision, deer goals would have remained lower than most people wanted.
"It wouldn't have made sense to wait," he said. "People wanted to see a change from last year. And we wanted to keep faith with all the people who dedicated so much time working on these goals.
"If the deer populations recover more quickly, we'll reconsider the goals more quickly."
The DNR said that of the 40 deer permit areas with new goals, 26 will be managed for deer densities higher than those established by the previous goals.
Eight will be managed at similar densities to former goals, and six will be managed for densities below former goals; four advisory team recommendations were not accepted by the DNR. Officials said in those instances the agency chose more moderate population increases in part to minimize anticipated deer damage to agricultural lands and forest habitat.
The goals are intended to be in place three to five years. This is the third year the DNR has worked with citizens and stakeholders to reassess and re-establish deer population goals in portions of the state. Goals for southwestern and portions of northern Minnesota were set in 2012. Goals for southeastern Minnesota were set last year.
Doug Smith • doug.smith@startribune.com
Twitter: @dougsmithstrib
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