The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has scheduled a series of spring open houses at 35 locations throughout the state to invite public conversation with local wildlife managers about deer and deer management.
Open house attendees can discuss their general concerns about deer, and learn about last year’s harvest data for their individual deer permit area (DPA). They also can ask about chronic wasting disease and get information about managing private woodlands for quality deer habitat. In addition, information on wolf management and the process to update the DNR’s wolf management plan will be available.
“The input provided from these open houses helps inform the deer season regulations for the upcoming fall and is a good opportunity for the local wildlife managers to meet the public they serve,” said John Williams, northwest region wildlife manager. “The feedback from people who participated in past open houses has been valuable and we anticipate another round of good conversation and information sharing.”
Northwest Minnesota open house details:
- Baudette: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Baudette High School AV Room, 236 15th Ave. SW
- Bemidji: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Thursday, March 19, Bemidji Area DNR Office, 2114 Bemidji Ave. N.
- Crookston: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Crookston Area DNR Office, 127 Bradley Boulevard, Erskine
- Detroit Lakes: 6 – 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, Twin Valley Community Center, 107 Second St. SW, Twin Valley, and 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Detroit Lakes Area DNR Office, 14583 County Highway 19
- Fergus Falls: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Fergus Falls Area DNR Office, 1509 1st Ave. N.
- Glenwood: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Glenwood Area DNR Office, 23070 N. Lakeshore Dr.
- Karlstad: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Lake Bronson State Park Visitor Center, 3793 230th St., Lake Bronson
- Park Rapids: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Walker Area Community Center, Ringle Library, 105 Tower Ave., Walker
- Red Lake: 6 – 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 25, Warroad Forestry Office, 804 Cherne Drive NE, Warroad
- Roseau: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Roseau County Courthouse, 606 5th Ave. SW
- Thief Lake: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Thief Lake WMA Headquarters, 42280 240th Ave. NE, Middle River
- Thief River: 6 – 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, Thief River Falls Area DNR Office, 246 125th Ave. NE
Meeting location details for other areas in the state can be found online on the deer open house webpage. A second series of open houses is being planned for August after season regulations are finalized.
The DNR began these local, open-house style meetings in 2018 with the release of its deer management plan. The department continues to use them as a way to encourage discussions about deer and deer management, enhance local relationships and foster two-way communication between the DNR and the public.
No formal presentations are planned and people can arrive any time during the scheduled open house times. Interested people who can’t attend a scheduled meeting are encouraged to contact a local wildlife manager for additional information or to address any questions about deer management. A list of wildlife offices is available online at mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife.
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