Lowest Number of Deer Tags Given in 40 Years

North Dakota deer season opens at noon Friday and in Minnesota on Saturday.

For the first time in 40 years, North Dakota issued the lowest numbers of deer licenses.

With the drop of deer population in North Dakota, the Game and Fish Department has limited the amount of deer licenses issued.

Not the best news for residents but the good news is there are options.

“I think everyone gets just as excited about the big rush. Deer season is big for people that don’t hunt other things. The biggest thing I’m excited about is the bucks I got on the cameras this year,” says North Dakotan resident John Effinger.

Effinger, like many hunters are eager for the open season.

He was among the 100,000 that applied for a license.

But was not lucky enough to get the North Dakota deer tag.

He had to pay for a non–residential permit in Minnesota.

A whopping $165 compared to a residential cost of $30.

“Around here we get a lot of North Dakotans hunters coming over to Minnesota, hunting on our public land. Especially the wildlife management areas,” says Detroit Lake’s DNR Area Wildlife Manager.

Seven years ago over 100,000 licenses were issued.

Since then the deer population has been the main reason for the restriction on issuing licenses.

“Our population has been declining the last five to six years. Mainly due to tough winters and loss of habitat,” says Assistant Chief North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Casey Anderson.

Of the 100,000 that applied in North Dakota 43,275 was given a deer hunting license.

But hunters that were able to get their license in either states are locked and loaded for the season.

“We’ve been doing some citing in the rifle, what we’ve been doing here. And just making sure we got all of our orange jackets and everything. Make sure we got our safety stuff out,” says Effinger.

For the lucky North Dakotans who did receive a license in state, the success rate is expected to be high.

“With all the row crops and things that are coming off or have been harvested. So the deer will be a lot more visible because a lot of those crops are off,” says Anderson.

Hunters hunting away from home may not be too happy about the lottery but can’t complain.

“You know, it’s not a whole a lot of fun right now because I didn’t get a North Dakota tag this year. But I guess if it ups the population and helps deer hunting in the future for when my kids are old enough to go deer hunting, then I guess I’m all for it,” says Effinger.

The Game and Fish Department says they are optimistic about the increase of deer population within the next few years and say having more mild winters will help with growth.

Numbers for deer licenses are not expected to hit 100,000 in the near future but closer to 70,000.