REGIONAL— The deer population appears to be on the road to recovery, and that should spell more success for hunters when they head to the woods on Saturday for the 2015 firearms deer opener. “I’m encouraged from what I’m seeing,” said Tower DNR Area Wildlife Manager Tom Rusch. “There’s a stronger fawn crop than we would have expected.”

That won’t help hunters this year, but it does bode well for future years, particularly since the strong El Niño currently affecting weather across North America is expected to bring another mild winter to Minnesota.

While most deer permit areas in northern St. Louis and Lake counties remain below DNR population goals, last winter’s mild conditions offered deer a break after back-to-back harsh winters in 2013 and 2014. That boosted both adult deer survival and fawn production this year. Those conditions substantially thinned the region’s deer herd and prompted the Department of Natural Resources to limit the harvest in the entire Arrowhead to bucks-only last year. This year, it’s bucks-only again in most locations. The only exceptions are in permit areas 117, 122, and 127, where the DNR is issuing some antlerless tags through a lottery. The DNR is managing those permit areas primarily for moose and is intentionally keeping deer numbers lower for that reason.

DNR officials acknowledge that the harvest rules this year are conservative, but are needed to help the deer population recover at least one more year before beginning to issue antlerless or hunter’s choice tags in much of the North Country. DNR wildlife officials note that winter severity and the level of antlerless harvest by hunters are the two primary drivers of deer population trends in northeastern Minnesota. Limiting the harvest to bucks allows for a hunting season without reducing the herd’s reproductive potential, according to the DNR. 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.

With the relative late start to the season, hunters should be out in the field during the height of the early rut, known as the chasing phase, when bucks are most active as they seek out fertile does. Their movements will slow later in the season as the breeding phase gets underway.

Hunters should face pretty typical field conditions in most of northern St. Louis and Lake counties, although portions of central St. Louis County remain extremely wet following record rainfall in September.

The mild fall weather that has lingered over the area for weeks is forecast to continue into opening weekend. The National Weather Service is predicting partly sunny skies, westerly breezes, and highs both days around 40 degrees.

The season starts with the moon approaching new, which should limit deer activity in the overnight hours. That means deer are likely to be most active at dawn and dusk.

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.

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