The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has scheduled a series of spring open houses at 35 locations throughout the state to invite public conversation with local wildlife managers about deer and deer management.
Open house attendees can discuss their general concerns about deer, and learn about last year’s harvest data for their individual deer permit area (DPA). They also can ask about chronic wasting disease, and get information about managing private woodlands for quality deer habitat. In addition, printed information on wolf management and the process to update the DNR’s wolf management plan will be available.
“The input provided from these open houses helps inform the deer season regulations for the upcoming fall and is a good opportunity for the local wildlife managers to meet the public they serve,” said Angela Aarhus-Ward, acting northeastern regional wildlife manager. “The feedback from people who participated in past open houses has been valuable and we anticipate another round of good conversation and information sharing.”
Northeastern Minnesota open house details:
Aitkin: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Thursday, March 19, Aitkin Area DNR Office, 1200 Minnesota Ave.
Brainerd: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Thursday, March 26, Brainerd Area DNR Office, 1601 Minnesota Drive.
Cloquet: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 26, Carlton County Transportation Building, 1630 County Road 61, Carlton.
Grand Rapids: 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, Grand Rapids Regional DNR Office, 1201 East Highway 2.
International Falls: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, International Falls Area DNR Office, 392 East Highway 11.
Tower: 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, Tower Area DNR Office, 650 Highway 169.
Two Harbors: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, Two Harbors Area DNR Office, 1568 Highway 2.
Meeting location details for other areas in the state can be found online on the deer open house webpage. A second series of open houses is being planned for August after season regulations are finalized.
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The DNR began these local, open-house style meetings in 2018 with the release of its deer management plan. The department continues to use 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.
No formal presentations are planned and people can arrive any time during the scheduled open house times. Interested people who can’t attend a scheduled meeting is encouraged to contact a local wildlife manager for additional information or to address any questions about deer management. A list of wildlife offices is available online at mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife .
