Controlled hunt at Afton State Park aims to contain deer population
AFTON, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says there are 62 controlled hunts taking place this fall, including at Afton State Park.
"When you shoot, it's just a big cloud of smoke so sometimes you don't even know if you hit the deer," said Steve Schutz.
Schutz is one of 30 hunters who had their name drawn for a controlled hunt at Afton State Park.
But this hunt comes with a caveat. Lottery winners must use muzzleloaders, which means they get one shot at a deer before they must reload.
"If you're fast enough, probably three minutes. Myself, probably four or five minutes to reload," said Schutz.
Still, Schutz and other hunters have been lucky this week, harvesting more than a dozen deer so far. Which is exactly what the DNR is hoping for.
"That's another one of the goals of the hunt is just to reach our caring capacity a little bit closer, so we don't have those deer starvation issues during a harsh winter," said Nick Bartels.
Bartels is the park's supervisor. He said last year's mild winter led to more fawns this spring. But the larger the herd, the more destructive it can become.
Deer will target oak saplings for food. But oaks are trees the DNR is trying to establish throughout the state because they are good for wildlife habitat.
"A lot of our hunters are local from the metro area. We did have a few travel from outstate," said Bartels.
Thinning herds at state parks can also help cut down on the spread of chronic wasting disease or CWD, a brain disease that's fatal to deer.
"I got a doe yesterday and I just shot another one about an hour ago," said Schutz.
This hunt is focused on antlerless deer. Despite below-zero temperatures Schutz is happy to be here helping to control deer numbers, while enjoying Afton State Park.
"This is more spread out and there are more opportunities. Plus, it's a fun time even though it's negative five right now," said Schutz.
The DNR said as of early December, the overall deer harvest in Minnesota has been higher than it was at this time last year. Possibly due to a higher number of deer due to last year's mild winter.
