After Optimistic Outlook, Still No Deer At Our Minnesota Deer Camp

I was hoping this year would be different than the last few, but once again we came away from the firearms opener without seeing any deer. I know several hunters who hunt in the southern part of our Northeast region had some luck, but there weren't very many deer harvested in our area.

Seven Years Without Getting A Deer (Or Seeing Them)

This is my seventh consecutive season where I didn't even buy a license. Part of that reason is it's been bucks only for most of it. The other reason is we haven't seen any deer sign. I've still gone to deer camp and helped out and hung out with my family and hunting buddies.

It used to be that even if someone didn't get a deer on opener, at least someone saw one. It was very rare that we didn't at least see one. Now it's been several years without a sighting in Northern St. Louis County, where our hunting property is.

Minnesota DNR Outlook

The Minnesota DNR shared their outlook for hunting season in late October. It looked more promising than recent years, saying that it was favorable for reproduction and hunters should see more deer.

Deer populations in the northeast region of the state are variable. This year was favorable for reproduction, and hunters should see more deer. However, populations in the far northeast portion of the region remain low, and winter severity was high, with snow remaining into spring. In these areas, bag limits remain conservative to give local deer populations a chance to grow.

I got up early Friday to walk the woods and look for deer sign. Usually I'd find a few tree scrapes or ground scrapes. Almost always I'd run into deer droppings. This year we found one single deer print.

Harsh Winters Or High Wolf Numbers?

What do we see? Wolves and wolf sign. Neighbors in the area post pictures of wolves on their trail cameras. In some places, they see more wolves than deer on their trail cameras.

That's not to say that's the only reason the deer population is low, but you can't ignore it. The last few winters have been mild, with very little snow. That would normally mean we would have higher deer numbers than we currently do.

Organizations like the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association ask hunters to report wolf sightings so they can prove to the DNR that the population has rebounded and needs to be regulated. Wolves are still federally protected, so the DNR couldn't allow a wolf hunting season anyway. You can see the frustration in the comments section of their field report.

I'm worried about losing the tradition of deer camp in the years to come. My friend's son took an interest in hunting, and his first season was last year. He hasn't seen a deer in the woods while hunting yet. How many more times is he going to come before he gives up?

Read More: Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Wants Your Wolf Reports