Registrations are down so far this fall in Duluth’s city bowhunt for deer, which opened Sept. 17. Through Tuesday, 98 deer had been registered by hunters. That’s down from 138 last year at the same time and 164 at the same time in 2014, said Phillip Lockett, president of the Arrowhead Bowhunters Alliance, which conducts the city hunt.
Registrations have been declining in the city hunt in recent years as hunters continue to reduce the herd in the city, which is the purpose of the hunt.
“There’s not a lot a deer in the city anymore,” Lockett said. “You walk around, and there’s not a lot of deer sign (tracks, scat, etc.). There used to be nice, worn deer trails. Now all the trails are grown over.”
A total of 349 hunters registered to take part in this fall’s hunt, which continues through Dec. 31. Last year, 375 hunters registered a total of 371 deer in the city’s hunt.
The Duluth bowhunt, authorized by the Duluth City Council, started in 2005. In the past 11 years of the hunt, the total harvest was 5,572, of which 4,683 (84 percent) were antlerless deer.
Hunters taking part in the city hunt must shoot an antlerless deer before taking a buck.
Permits needed for park deer hunts
Cascade River and Judge C.R. Magney state parks on Minnesota’s North Shore will again hold special firearms deer hunts this fall during the regular firearms season Nov. 5-20. New for the 2016 season, hunters wishing to participate in the special hunts must obtain a free special deer hunt permit.
Special deer hunt permits are now available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Cascade River State Park office. The office is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Hunters wishing to obtain a special hunt permit must choose whether they want to participate in the Cascade River State Park or the Judge C.R. Magney State Park hunt. Participants must have a valid Minnesota deer license before obtaining a special hunt permit at the park.
See dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer for further information.
People visiting these state parks during the hunting season should wear blaze-orange clothing even if they will not be hunting.
Ski/snowboard swap coming up
The annual Ski and Snowboard Swap at Spirit Mountain will be held Oct. 28-30 at Spirit Mountain’s Bearpaw Chalet. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Oct. 28; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 29; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 30.
For information, including when to bring gear to sell, go to teamduluth.org/skiswap or call the ski swap hotline at (218) 260-4120. The event is a fundraiser for Team Duluth that benefits Duluth-area youth skiers. Update your ski or snowboard equipment, outfit your kids or sell your skis, poles, snowboards, boots, helmets and clothing. Staff from the Ski Hut and experienced skiers and snowboarders will be available to help buyers and sellers.
Note that Nordic (cross-country) skis and gear are not handled by the swap.
