Deer hunting season off to a slow start
Local hunters are reporting a less than stellar open to Minnesota's firearm deer season.
The DNR says the opening weekend of the season was “not awful," but that the number of deer taken is very likely to be down.
About 400,000 Minnesotans hunters were out over the weekend, but heavy winds made it hard to score a buck. The Pioneer Press says gusts as strong as 30 mph affected both hunters and deer. Strong winds carry scents of trouble for deer and make it hard for hunters to hear through the rustling of leaves and branches.
Hunters that do bag a buck can pass their luck along to hungry Minnesotans by donating venison. Last year, hunters donated more than 550 deer to the program. That equals nearly 20,000 pounds of meat that went to state food shelves.
