Fewer antlerless permits issued to hunters, but weather, harvest outlook upbeat for deer opener

The recent mild winter should have encouraged fawn production in spring, Keller said, resulting in a boost of the state’s deer population. She noted, however, that according to a DNR study in southwest Minnesota, the fawn survival rate to three months of age was only 36% because of rain and coyote predation. That survival rate might be an outlier, Keller cautioned, compared to other areas in the state.