Four-Day Festival Celebrates Minnesota's Deer Hunting Tradition

ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Each November, Minnesota hunters converge in time-worn shacks and cabins away from city traffic and everyday hassles, to re-tell stories of past hunts while counting down the hours until they can get back into the outdoors to watch and listen for white-tailed deer.

It's a tradition carried on each season by nearly 500,000 firearms deer hunters in Minnesota, and this year, a festival celebrating that tradition ? the 15th annual Minnesota Governor's Deer Hunting Opener ? is Thursday, Nov. 2, through Sunday, Nov. 5, in Grand Rapids, Minn., featuring a smorgasbord of activities with deer hunting at the center.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to attend the event coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, Explore Minnesota and Visit Grand Rapids.

"Hunting is a big deal in Minnesota," said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. "Hunters contribute to the bottom line of businesses across the state and hunters help fund conservation efforts that benefit wildlife, habitat for wildlife and pollinators, and our water quality."

Minnesota has a rich hunting heritage and ample room to hunt on 11 million acres of public hunting land. Hunting is a favorite fall activity in many families and part of the culture of many communities across the state. Overall, hunting and wildlife watching generate more than $1.3 billion in annual economic expenditures in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Governor's Deer Hunting Opener began in 2003 and happens at a different location around the state each year. Activities include a youth archery competition, hunting exhibits, dinner, a demonstration from a butcher about how to turn a harvested deer into venison for the freezer and opportunities for media to sign up to hunt deer with local hosts when the Minnesota firearms deer season opens on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Visit mngovernorsdeeropener.com for more information about the event, and follow along on social media using #DeerCampMN and #OnlyinMN.

SOURCE Minnesota Department of Natural Resources