More encouraging news surrounding survival rates in whitetail fawns and deer as a whole is coming out of the state of Minnesota after state wildlife officials are reporting multiple fawn sightings across the northeastern region of the state.
Following a relatively mild winter, single fawns and twin fawns sightings are becoming more of a regular occurrence.
“The deer came through in great shape,” said Chris Balzer, Department of Natural Resources area wildlife manager at Cloquet. “You’d expect to have a good fawn crop after a winter like that, and, anecdotally speaking, we’re seeing quite a few fawns. Mostly, twin fawns seem to be the norm. It definitely seems we’re on the rise.”
The past couple of deer hunting seasons in the state of Minnesota have proven to be challenging for hunters, as a number of consecutive tough winters thinned deer herds in the state. As deer numbers decline, so do available tags for hunters, hence the challenges many fall woodsmen have faced of recent.
Despite encouraging signs of increased survival among fawns, Balzer stated that in most permit areas in the northeaster region of the state, numbers are still below their target range. He is, however, confident that the continued management of the animals paired with decent weather should bring population levels back to sustainable levels.
“If things are good, the deer herd can grow 30 percent or so in a year,” he said. “But 30 percent of a low number is still low. It takes a while to build some momentum, but now we’ve had two mild winters in a row.”
Balzer also noted that while he does expect this season to be conservative once again, he is confident that there will be a slight increase in available antlerless permits in 2016.
H/T: Duluth News Tribune
