ST. PAUL, Minn. – The number of white-tailed deer harvested by Minnesota hunters last fall was lower than the previous year.
According to the DNR, the harvest was down by 8% in 2023 compared to 2022 and 14% less than the five-year average.
The total number of deer harvested last year was 158,678, compared to 172,265 the year before. The greatest decrease was in the northern part of the state where the harvest was down by 21% in the northeastern region and 8% in the northwest.
Chronic wasting disease remains relatively low in Minnesota, with only 43 hunter-harvested deer testing positive for CWD. Of those, 91% were in the southeastern region, which continues to experience persistent CWD infections in wild deer.
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