ST. PAUL, Minn. — Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans will be on the hunt for a trophy buck this weekend.

Saturday just before sunrise marks the start of the firearm deer opener in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says overall, deer numbers are on the rise, especially in the central and southern parts of the state, thanks in part to last year’s mild winter.

DNR leaders add northern Minnesota is still suffering from several harsh winters, so it’s expected to take longer for those areas to recover.

They also said one big difference from last year is there’s no huge acorn crop, so we’re not seeing a record mast year, which means the deer movements will change a little bit.

“This year, if you can find some leftover acorns or maybe some trees that are actually producing acorns to key in on those and really focus on where those deer patterns are changing,” said Todd Froberg, big game program coordinator for the Minnesota DNR. “So, they might be a little more predictable this year.”

New this year, language was added to clarify blaze orange requirements for fabric or synthetic ground blinds only during deer hunting season. It no longer impacts spring turkey, bear, or waterfowl seasons. A person in a fabric or synthetic ground blind on public land must have a blaze orange safety covering on top of the blind that is visible from all directions or a patch made of blaze orange that is at least 144 square inches (12×12 inches) on each side of the blind.

Mandatory chronic waste disease testing is back this weekend for the opener.

Also new this year, hunters can now bring any deer harvested out of state into Minnesota so long as they bring it to a taxidermist within the first 48 hours. The same goes for removing any deer harvested in a CWD zone.  

The Minnesota DNR has also added some new CWD management sites in parts of the northeast and a new site near Wabasha after a deer tested positive for CWD last fall.

“They’re there so that we can ensure that future generations have the same or better opportunities that we have today,” said Justin Frisch, DNR conservation officer. “If we’re not following the regulations, then it puts the resource at risk.”

The firearm season ends with the 16-day muzzleloader season Dec. 15.

As of Wednesday, 230,946 licenses have been sold, which is 1% higher than last year.