Even with Wolves in Minnesota(and the occasional Cougar),deer populations remain robust.......In Colonial times, deer in the Northeast ran 5 to 10 per square mile in density,,,,thus allowing the forest to regenerate optimumly...........Today, .Deer densities in southeast. Minn. are among the state's highest, ranging from 10 to 23 deer per square mile, where few if any wolves now roam............Do you think these woodlands are healthy?

Deer opener holds promise

•                                         

Hunters who venture into fields and forests for Minnesota's firearms deer season, which opens Nov. 5, can expect a good deer season and ample hunting opportunities, according to the DNR.
"We can't guarantee harvest success," said Steve Merchant, wildlife programs manager. "But we can assure hunters that good deer hunting opportunities exist throughout Minnesota."

Minnesota's whitetail deer population is about 1 million. The DNR, which manages the herd based on population goals established with public input, expects this year's harvest to be similar to the 207,000 deer harvested in 2010.

During the late 1990s, deer populations were at high levels in many areas due to a succession of mild winters. DNR enacted liberal hunting regulations to reduce the population, resulting in Minnesota's deer harvest peaking in 2003 at 290,000.

"Throughout most of Minnesota, deer populations are now at goal levels," Merchant said. "Bag limits have been reduced in some areas, but the deer population remains strong."

Most corn, which provides ample standing cover and can significantly impact deer harvest, likely will have been harvested, and last winter wasn't so severe that deer populations were significantly affected.

.