Public Comment Period Opens for Possible Deer Hunting Season Change
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DULUTH - Changes could be on the way for deer hunters in Duluth.
Many residents have had problems with deer in the metro area, so the firearm season may be extended by one week for permit area 182.
That area includes Duluth, Hermantown, Proctor, Esko and Cloquet and is mostly private land.
The Minnesota DNR said the number one complaint they get about deer is how they ruin landscapes.
People are also concerned about the diseases they carry and the possibility of hitting them while they're on the road.
The proposed change would mean unlimited anterless tags, one extra week of hunting and additional flexibility for landowners and local governments to harvest more deer.
Local governments would decide whether hunters could use bows, firearms, or both.
"People care a lot about deer one way or the other. Either they're having trouble with them, or they like to see a lot of them for recreation, or they like to see a lot of them when they're hunting. So, everyone has an opinion," said DNR Cloquet Area Wildlife Manager, Chris Balzer.
The DNR says they've received a number of e-mails already and it's been an even response of folks for it and against it.
One man at the meeting Thursday night voiced his concern that this might make the deer population too small because of deer already not making it through harsh weather.
The public comment period starts Friday, May 8th and ends Monday, May 19th.
To fill out a comment form click here or contact Chris Balzer at christian.balzer@state.mn.us.
Once the comment period ends the DNR will look over them and decide how to move forward.