Maplewood to remain open during deer hunt Nov. 9-12
News | Published on October 29, 2024 at 12:21pm EDT | Author: henningmaster
0Special hunt planned to help control deer population
A special deer hunt will be held on November 9-12 at Maplewood State Park to control deer overpopulation and to protect natural resources. Maplewood will remain open to visitors, but the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) advises wearing blaze orange or blaze pink if visiting the park while the hunt is in progress. Visitors should check for hunt-related information on the park website and at the park office when they arrive. Hunt-related signage will provide instructions on where to go.
Special hunts will take place at other Minnesota state parks and recreation areas this fall, and access to the parks will vary. Park visitors are advised to check the alerts and notices on state park and recreation area websites (www.mndnr.gov/park-list) to find details about any upcoming special hunts as they make their plans.
“An overpopulation of a single species can disrupt the balance of the ecosystem,” said Mark Cleveland, Parks and Trails natural resource policy and program coordinator. “When deer numbers become too high in an area, they overgraze on specific trees and native plants. Also, high deer density in an area provides an environment where diseases can spread more rapidly. To help preserve natural resources and maintain the health of the ecosystem, we sometimes hold special deer hunts in state parks and recreation areas.”
The deadlines have passed for youth and adults to apply for the permits to participate in these special hunts, which include regular firearms, muzzleloader and archery options.
As of 2023, state park and state recreation area special hunts require use of only nontoxic (nonlead) ammunition. An exception is for youth hunts in the shotgun-only use area of Minnesota, where hunters are not required to use nontoxic ammunition, but those not using nontoxic ammunition must remove all parts of harvested deer, including the entrails. For details, visit the DNR hunting regulations webpage (mndnr.gov/regulations/hunting). Nontoxic ammunition protects animals such as bald eagles, ravens and bobcats from ingesting lead while feeding on deer gut piles. It takes only a very small amount of lead to cause lead poisoning in wildlife.
For a list of parks that are hosting special hunts during the 2024 hunting season, visit the state park hunts webpage (www.mndnr.gov/parkhunts).