In This Issue
A deer harvested during the opening weekend of firearms season near Wabasha in southeastern Minnesota has tested positive for chronic wasting disease.
The hunter harvested the adult male deer in deer permit area (DPA) 342, within the southeastern Minnesota CWD surveillance zone where hunters were required to have their deer tested for CWD during the opening weekend of firearms season.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources had added DPA 342 to the CWD surveillance zone this year in response to detections of CWD in wild deer in bordering Buffalo County, Wisconsin in 2022.
?This discovery in southeastern Minnesota, while unwelcome news, highlights the importance and necessity of our disease surveillance efforts,? said Erik Hildebrand, Minnesota DNR wildlife health supervisor. ?We truly appreciate hunters? help in combatting CWD by getting their deer tested for CWD when required and complying with carcass movement restrictions. Results of these efforts help limit disease spread and protect the health of Minnesota?s white-tailed deer.?
With the new discovery, the DNR?s current CWD response plan calls for three years of mandatory testing to help determine the potential prevalence of the disease in DPA 342 and surrounding DPAs.
Much of southeastern Minnesota includes areas where CWD has been found in wild deer, or areas that are considered at risk for disease transmission. Statewide, the Minnesota DNR has tested more than 130,000 deer since 2002. As of Nov. 27, 236 have tested positive. Most of those cases occurred in southeastern Minnesota. These data indicate the disease remains relatively rare in Minnesota.?
Within DPAs where CWD has been detected, the DNR uses multiple management actions designed to help mitigate disease spread, including carcass movement restrictions, dumpsters, a?deer feeding and attractants ban,?and sometimes increased hunting opportunities with increased bag limits.
Complete CWD test results are available on the Minnesota DNR?s CWD test results webpage (mndnr.gov/cwdcheck). Any additional deer harvested during the 2023 deer seasons in Minnesota that test positive for CWD will be reported on this webpage. The DNR will directly notify any hunter who harvests a deer that tests positive.
CWD affects cervids, which include white-tailed deer, moose and elk, and has no known cure. It is found in more than half of the states in the U.S.
More information about CWD, what the DNR is doing to limit disease spread and protect the health of Minnesota?s white-tailed deer, and information for hunters about current and upcoming hunting seasons, is available on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/cwd).
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A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife, and habitat management.
Explore the outdoors this winter by hunting Minnesota small game
Hunting pheasants, ruffed grouse, squirrels or rabbits offers opportunities to enjoy the Minnesota outdoors as temperatures fall and snow blankets the landscape.
Pheasants: Hunting season is open through Jan. 1, 2024. On Dec. 1, the daily bag limit increases to three roosters, with a possession limit of nine roosters. The best places to find pheasants at this time of year are in tall grass or cattail marshes. Hunters should remember to exercise caution around thin ice.
Grouse: Hunting season is open through Jan. 1, 2024. Wintertime grouse hunters might find success during the ?golden hour,? which is the last hour before sunset, when ruffed grouse move out of their snow roosts to feed.
Squirrels: Hunting season is open through Feb. 28, 2024. Winter is breeding season for squirrels, which means they are active and easier to find.
Rabbits: Hunting season is open through Feb. 28, 2024. Hunters will find the most success around thick cover, such as brush piles, thorn tangles and briars.
Hunters also can find regulations and complete bag limit information on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website (mndnr.gov/hunting). More information about how or where to hunt can be found on the DNR?s learn to hunt webpages (mndnr.gov/gohunting). Recorded webinars with tips on how to hunt pheasants, grouse, squirrels or rabbits are available on the outdoor skills and stewardship page of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover).
Hunters can donate their deer
Hunters can participate in a program that allows them to donate whole deer they harvest to food shelves and feeding programs.
The program, offered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, provides an excellent source of protein to people in need while helping reduce local deer populations.
To participate, hunters must have their deer processed at a MDA-registered meat processing plant that has agreed to participate in the program. Find the details about this program on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/hunting/deer/donation).
Registration open for Minnesota DNR webinars on winter outdoor skills and stewardship
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the winter program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.
Webinars will cover winter sports that take place on the ice, owls, the northern lights, mudpuppies, reading the snow for animal tracks, ice fishing, boats and boating equipment, fish art, wolves, deer in winter, lynx and muskrats, winter foraging, and Critical Habitat license plates.???
In a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 29, Rachael Dube, one of the Minnesota DNR?s forest health specialists, will share information on emerald ash borer and its impacts on our communities and forests. Dube also will cover how property owners can prepare for and control emerald ash borer and how to manage a healthy forest in the face of this pest.
In a webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 6, a variety of experts will discuss outdoor sports that take place on ice including ice boating, ice climbing and more. Learn more about these fun sports and how to participate.
The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.
Give the gift of outdoor opportunities
For those hunting for holiday gift ideas, consider giving someone the opportunity for a lifetime of outdoor adventures with a Minnesota lifetime fishing or hunting license. The memory of time spent outdoors is one of the most meaningful gifts one can give.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers reduced rates for those under age 16 and over 50. Plus, if license prices increase or the license holder moves out of state, lifetime licenses remain valid.
People can buy a license for themselves, or as a gift for someone else. More information is available on the Minnesota DNR website about licenses for Minnesota residents (mndnr.gov/licenses/lifetime/residents) and non-residents (mndnr.gov/licenses/lifetime/nonresidents).
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