REGIONAL—Hunters will be looking for antlers as they take to the woods Saturday morning for the 2014 firearms deer opener. After two tough winters in a row, whitetail deer numbers are the lowest they’ve been in almost two decades across most of northeastern Minnesota, and that’s prompted the Department of Natural Resources to limit the harvest to bucks only throughout the Arrowhead.

A legal buck is any deer with at least one antler three inches long. Button bucks are not considered legal game this year in bucks-only zones.

DNR officials say the conservative regulations this year represent a conscious effort to grow the deer herd, which is currently below goal across all of northern St. Louis, Lake, and Koochiching counties. Limiting the harvest to bucks allows for a hunting season without reducing the herd’s reproductive potential.

While hunters may find fewer deer, they should excellent field conditions, according to Tom Rusch, DNR Tower Area Wildlife Manager. Given recent dry weather, “forest access is very good and swamps and low areas are accessible on foot,” stated Rusch.

“Buck movement should be good early in the 16-day season,” according to Rusch. “Breeding activity should peak during mid-season as the annual rutting season transitions into the reproductive phase and then deer movement typically slows down.”

Hunters can expect seasonable weather for the opening weekend, with cloudy skies, possible snow showers and a high around 29 degrees. Northwest breezes at 10-15 miles per hour are likely to make it feel chillier for hunters out on their stands. Sunday should remain overcast with a high of 26 degrees and lighter winds.

As of presstime Wednesday, the National Weather Service was forecasting possible accumulating snow late Friday night, which could improve hunter visibility in the woods.

Hunters will also take to the field close to the Nov. 6 full moon. Under the full moon, deer often remain active at night, which can reduce their daytime activity level, particularly around the usual peaks at dusk and dawn. Under the full moon, deer tend to be more active during midday, according to Rusch, which means hunters might want to pack a lunch for the stand, rather than head back to camp at the noon hour.

Locally, hunters in deer permit areas 176, 177, and 178, should have the best chance to bag a buck. “These are the most productive areas in this work area and account for the majority of the annual harvest,” said Rusch. “Hunters will likely see and harvest about the same number of deer in these areas as they did in 2013.”

That likely won’t be the case in permit areas 108, 117, 118, 122, and 127, where Rusch expects hunters to harvest fewer deer this year than last.

This year’s bucks-only restriction applies to all hunters, including bow, youth, and muzzleloaders. A resident deer license is $31.