Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR A buck deer walks along a woody trail in northern Minnesota. More than 400,000 deer hunters are preparing for the firearms deer season that opens Nov. 8.

NEW ULM — The weather forecast for the Nov. 8 Minnesota firearms deer hunting season opener looks favorable, according to New Ulm DNR Wildlife Manager Jeff Zajac.

“If we get temperatures in the 40s and 50s, it should be ideal. A good, fall day makes it easier to stay in the deer blind than if it is much warmer,” said Zajac.

The weather forecast for Saturday, Nov. 8, has a high of 56 and low of 36 with a minimal chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service.

Deer numbers look pretty good too.

“We’re going to have good deer numbers with most of the crops harvested as long as the wind isn’t too bad. Deer will be where corn is still standing. Many deer will be in and around river valleys,” he said. “I think we’ve got a very productive herd. We’ve got reports of lots of twins and triplets. The habitat is in great shape with plenty of cover and food. Lots of deer will be in the Minnesota, Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood and Redwood River Valleys after harvest.”

Zajac said archery deer hunt numbers are not available yet but he said he talked to people who saw good numbers of deer.

He said waterfowl hunting has been slow but he expects that to improve as crops come out.

“We need a good, strong cold front from the north to move birds down here. I haven’t seen that in the forecast yet,” said Zajac.

Joe Stangel, DNR Southern Region wildlife manager said cooler temperatures will make deer move around the landscape more than they do with warm weather.

“With recent rain, the crop harvest stalled a bit with about 75% of the crop out. I would expect most of the crop to be gone by the opener,” said Stangel.

Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Troy Dale of the Marshall DNR office said rut (mating season) conditions can turn things around.

“Once the rut starts, you can really throw out everything you know about deer movement and patterns,” said Dale. “Does are going to go where they can fulfill their core requirements. Bucks are going to do their best to push around does and build their harem. It’s anyone’s game when it comes to deer movement.”

Many farming areas need help reducing local deer populations and allowing hunters to harvest multiple antler-less deer.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) receives about 230 formal deer damage complaints a year from landowners, since crop damage and stored forage can result in lost revenue.

The DNR urges hunters to make sure their firearms are in good working order, ensure they have plenty of blaze orange or blaze pink clothing, make sure their hunting party has a plan on where everyone will hunt, know where their targets are and what is beyond it and check all tree-stand gear for wear and tear including safety harnesses, haul lines, steps and ladders.

Deer hunters can use an online field log to report wildlife they see while hunting. The DNR uses the information to supplement its model-generated population estimates that are important to wildlife management.

One statewide firearms license is valid for the regular deer season and late southeast season.

Detailed information on every deer permit area (DPA) including hunters per square mile in 2024, public hunting ground, and land cover types, are available on an interactive deer may by selecting DPA Details at the interactive deer map (Mndnr.gov/deermap). Deer hunting regulations are available at mndnr.gov/hunting/deer.