I always frown when I read an Outdoor Report in a newspaper that seeks to hype THE DECLINE OF DEER...............The Minnesota Dept. of Resources 2014 Report on Deer in the state(below) states that since the 1970's, 150,000 to 200,000 deer of the 1,000,000 Whitetail Population is killed by hunters..........Despite some harsh winters as of late, only 15 to 20% of the herd are killed annually, hardly herd threatening...............In combination the Wolf population of the state is down at least 25% from some 3000 wolves to 2200 after last years severe lobo killing season..............Minnesota is more concerned about it's hunters than it is regarding the health of it's land and complete matrix of predator and prey

Hunters across Minnesota saw a decline in deer

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Hunters across Minnesota

 saw a decline in

 

deer

Official numbers aren't in, but early data and anecdotal reports suggest 

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

White-tailed deer eat many foods,  such as acorns, corn, soybeans,  mushrooms, grasses, tree leaves  buds, twigs and bark, wild grapes,  apples and assorted shrubs. Predators Wolves, coyotes, bears, and  bobcats hunt and eat whitetails. Habitat and range White-tailed deer live in prairies,  forests, swamps, wood lots and  agricultural fields. They are common in both suburban and  rural areas. Sometimes they are  a traffic hazard. During harsh winters, deer may also become a nuisance to farmers by eating  hay or corn that is stored for livestock. Population and management After the young (fawns) are born each spring, there are between  900,000 and 1,000,000 deer in  Minnesota. The hunting season is  important to keep the deer population from getting too large.  Each year, Minnesota hunters harvest between 150,000 and 200,000 deer.

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