From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - July 18, 2020

Anyone interested in discussing deer and deer management can tune in to a virtual open house on Tuesday, Aug. 18, hosted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The meeting will include a presentation from Barbara Keller, the DNR’s big game program leader, who will share information about Minnesota’s deer and deer hunter population, explain some of the upcoming changes for this fall's deer hunting season, and describe how the public can provide input about deer management in their areas. There will also be time for questions and answers.

As part of Minnesota’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DNR will be using a web-based platform to host the deer open house online.

“We’re looking forward to continuing these conversations about deer management from a safe distance,” Keller said. “This is a great opportunity to bring everyone together across the state and hear people’s deer-related questions.”

Participating in the open house

All are welcome to join the virtual meeting from 6-7 p.m. on Aug. 18, on their computers, on smartphones or by phone (with limited visual capability). Registration for the event is required and available on the deer open house webpage. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance on their registration form.

The open house will be recorded and available online on the deer open house webpage for those who cannot attend. For questions about deer in local areas, at any point during the year, people are encouraged to contact their local wildlife manager. A list of area wildlife offices is available online at mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife. 

More about the DNR’s deer open houses

The DNR began its deer open houses in 2018 with the release of its statewide deer management plan. The department has continued them as a way to encourage discussions about deer and deer management, enhance local relationships, and foster two-way communication between the DNR and the public. They are one of many opportunities for people to get involved with the deer season-setting process, including online surveys and the DNR’s deer population goal-setting process.