Outdoors

Minnesota license sales show more are poised to join muzzleloader hunt

By Tony Kennedy

November 26, 2020 at 11:43PM
tales from the hunt Trey Mertens, left, and Mack Mertens are 13-year-old cousins from Roseau. On opening day of the statewide firearms season each shot an 8-point buck, one hour apart, on their grandparents' land near Roseau. On the same land over MEA weekend, Trey's brother Ty, 11, also shot a buck on Grandma and Grandpa's land.
tales from the hunt Trey Mertens, left, and Mack Mertens are 13-year-old cousins from Roseau. On opening day of the statewide firearms season each shot an 8-point buck, one hour apart, on their grandparents’ land near Roseau. On the same land over MEA weekend, Trey’s brother Ty, 11, also shot a buck on Grandma and Grandpa’s land. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Whitetail deer hunting in Minnesota opened Sept. 19 with the archery season. It continues Saturday with the start of single-shot muzzleloader hunting — a two-week subseason statewide that will have a strong following this year.

According to license sales data kept by the Department of Natural Resources, 20% more residents are poised to join the muzzleloader hunt this year than in 2019.

As of Monday of this week, the DNR had sold 10,670 resident muzzleloader licenses of all kinds. The largest spike in participation will be among youth hunters, 13 to 17 years old. In that category, DNR has sold upward of 600 licenses, 34% more than a year ago.

Meghan Wright, 13, of Forest Lake, dropped this 11-point buck while hunting with her father on private land in Braham, Minn., one week ago. "She was so excited her heart is still pounding!'' said her grandfather, John Moxness, also of Forest Lake.
Meghan Wright, 13, of Forest Lake, dropped this 11-point buck while hunting with her father on private land in Braham, Minn., one week ago. “She was so excited her heart is still pounding!’’ said her grandfather, John Moxness, also of Forest Lake. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Hudson Fritz, 10, of Lakeville, watched in amazement as this 10-point buck charged into a field where a spike buck and several does were standing. From a distance of 100 yards at 4 p.m. Saturday, he fired and connected to harvest the first deer of his lifetime. Hudson was with his family at his uncle Mike Grant's place near Battle Lake. The gun he shot belongs to his great-grandfather, Bud Grant.
Hudson Fritz, 10, of Lakeville, watched in amazement as this 10-point buck charged into a field where a spike buck and several does were standing. From a distance of 100 yards at 4 p.m. Saturday, he fired and connected to harvest the first deer of his lifetime. Hudson was with his family at his uncle Mike Grant’s place near Battle Lake. The gun he shot belongs to his great-grandfather, Bud Grant. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Tony Kennedy

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Tony Kennedy is an outdoors writer covering Minnesota news about fishing, hunting, wildlife, conservation, BWCA, natural resource management, public land, forests and water.

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