Almanac: Number of deer registered in person is expected to drop

The 700 Minnesota stores that act as deer registration stations likely will see even less traffic from hunters this season then they did last year.

Which won't make them happy.

That's because even more hunters this season are expected to register their deer via telephone or the Internet -- a convenience that began last fall.

About half of the 207,000 deer killed by hunters last year were registered via phone or Internet. But so far during the archery deer season, about two-thirds of successful hunters have used those methods.

"I think more people will use it this year," said Lou Cornicelli, Department of Natural Resources big game program leader.

He caught flak from business owners who saw a decline in foot traffic because of the change, and expects more complaints this season.

"We register deer to collect data," Cornicelli said, not to provide traffic for businesses. "Our clientele are hunters. We developed a system that is quick and easy for our clients. It would be disingenuous to our license buyers to force them to drive 15 miles to a store to register their deer when they don't have to."

Hunters can register their deer by calling 888-706-6367 or going to the DNR's website at www.startribune.com/a780.

Higher deer harvest? Based on how archery deer hunters are doing, Cornicelli estimates the total deer kill this year will be around 212,000 -- up from 207,000 last year. That's assuming good weather. Archery hunters have bagged 11,649 deer, about 200 more than at this time last year.

Turkey changes Minnesota's wild turkey hunters will find major changes next spring.

Instead of hunting in one of 81 permit areas, the state will be divided into just 12 permit areas.

"It will provide additional opportunity for hunters to move around a bit, and it will simplify administrative stuff for us," said Bill Penning, DNR farmland wildlife leader. "It's a win-win deal."

Hunters will be able to buy turkey licenses over-the-counter for the past four spring hunting seasons. Previously, over-the-counter licenses were available only for the last two hunting periods.

Five-stamp winner He's calling it a Royal Slam -- one better than a Grand Slam.

Wildlife artist John House of Evansville, Minn., is the first artist to win all five of Minnesota's wildlife stamp contests -- duck, pheasant, turkey, trout and now walleye. House's painting of a walleye recently was selected as the 2012 walleye stamp winner.

He also won the 2008 state wild turkey, 2006 trout, 2004 pheasant and 1999 duck stamp contests.

Pheasant hunters The pheasant population is down drastically this fall, but the number of pheasant hunters who are choosing to sit out the season is rather remarkable. Pheasant stamp sales so far total 77,758, down more than 15,000, or 16 percent, from last year.

More on deer Camp Ripley archers harvested a total of 422 deer over two, two-day hunts -- 33 percent above the long-term average of 316 deer. Meanwhile, deer hunters can donate deer to food shelves at no cost or little cost again this season. They can drop deer off at participating meat processors, which are paid $70 to process each deer. For details, including a list of processors, see www.startribune.com/a779.

Did you know? • The Lake Mille Lacs walleye population has declined to the second-lowest since monitoring began in 1983. See www.startribune.com/outdoors for more.

• Expect some deer hunters to again get nailed for illegally baiting deer this season. Several archers already have run afoul of the law. An archer near Hibbing faces nearly $1,000 in fines and restitution and had his bow seized for hunting over a baited area and having an untagged animal.

• A cabin owner near Aurora determined a bear cub was a nuisance so he shot it and butchered it. The bear meat was seized and he was charged.

• Late-season walleye fishing on Lake Mille Lacs has been good .

• Waterfowl hunting near Willmar has been good, with mallards, teal, widgeon and geese in the bag. Pheasant hunting has been slow.

• Goose hunting near Rochester was a little slow last week; lots of birds are in the area, but they were proving hard to decoy.

• Conservation officer Phil George of Rochester cited a hunter who illegally shot two wild turkeys with a rimfire rifle.