The Minnesota deer firearms season opens in just over a week, but the trend of declining hunter participation continues. Despite this, the season remains a popular tradition for tens of thousands.

Data released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shows that the trend of declining sales in deer firearm licenses is at a five-year low for this point in October.

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Balazs Kovacs
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A Steep Decline

The Minnesota DNR's sales figures for "Friday, Two Weeks Prior to Firearm Opener" show that 86,315 regular firearms licenses have been sold, down 1% from the same point last year.

Sales of regular firearm licenses have not exceeded 100,000 since 2016. While the pandemic provided a temporary jump in numbers, with 96,928 sold in 2020, this year's sales will likely not hit 90,000.

Mule Deer in the woodlands of Scott City, Kansas 2019
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From 2016 to this year, the sales of regular firearm licenses has fallen 43%. 2018 was the low point over the last 10-year span of sales, with only 78,174 sold in the state.

In just 24 years, Minnesota has witnessed a staggering 97% drop in firearm deer hunters. Back in 2000, the DNR sold nearly a quarter of a million licenses – a far cry from today's numbers.

Old gone hunting sign.
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Why the Decline?

There are many theories about the reasons behind this decline, ranging from the wolf population and changing societal attitudes towards hunting, animals, and guns, to demographic shifts and issues with cost and land access.

White-Tailed Deer Buck
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A Nationwide Trend

The trend in Minnesota mirrors a nationwide phenomenon, with a 5% decrease in hunting licenses sold across the US between 2011 and 2021, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Efforts to Recruit New Hunters

Organizations like the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are actively working to recruit new hunters and promote the importance of hunting for wildlife management.

States with the most registered hunters

Stacker analyzed data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine which states have the most registered hunters. Read on to see how your state ranks on Stacker’s list.

Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger

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