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Hunting: Will it jolt economy?
Sales for supplies are steady as Minnesota gears up for another deer season
By Glen Schmitt • Special to the Times • November 7, 2008
Almost a half-million hunters dressed in blaze-orange clothing are expected to take to Minnesota’s forests and farmland Saturday for opening day of the firearms deer season.
It remains one of the state’s great outdoor traditions and participation is expected to be high despite the tough economic climate.
The average hunter spends $500-$1,500 on expenses related to Minnesota’s deer season, according to the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. From gas to food, equipment to hotels and licenses to processing, the deer season could provide an economic jolt.
While many retailers see the economic benefits, hunters see a social benefit as they gather at deer camps.
“Every year you think there couldn’t be more excitement than the previous year, but there always is,” MDHA Executive Director Mark Johnson said. “It’s a great time for family, friends and neighbors to get together, relax and enjoy the solitude of the season.”
Johnson believes anticipation for this year is even stronger because the opener is a week later. He’s heard a noticeable excitement among hunters this week.
At Sportsman’s Warehouse in St. Cloud, hunters seem to be spending about as much as last year on deer season supplies. Business has been brisk this week, said gunroom manager Jeff Murphy.
Hunting-related items make up about half of the St. Cloud store’s annual sales and the deer season is a huge part of that revenue.
Business tends to pick up the Saturday before opening day and continue throughout the week.
Gun sales have been steady with shotguns and slug barrels being hot items, Murphy said. Range finders and other optics have sold well, and of course, anything that’s blaze orange is hot.
“I’d say our sales are in line with or slightly ahead of last year at this time,” Murphy said. “People still seem to be buying whatever they need to go deer hunting.”
Due to increased awareness about lead fragments in venison donated to several Minnesota and North Dakota food shelves after last season, many hunters are asking more questions about bullet options, Murphy said.
They want bullets that won’t shatter or fragment on impact. The increased cost of lead also has more hunters interested in equipment that lets them load their own shells.
“We’re also hearing a lot about the corn that’s still standing,” Murphy added. “There are a lot of deer hunters hoping that the corn is gone by opening day.”
Many areas of Minnesota remain a sea of standing corn and the rain late this week didn’t speed up the harvest.
The state’s corn harvest advanced 24 percentage points during the past week, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Even so, only 54 percent of the state’s corn had been harvested compared with 84 percent at the same time last year.
The amount of corn standing on opening day could negatively impact the deer harvest, Johnson said. Weather conditions also will play a role.
Hunters do have one factor in their favor, he said, especially with the later start to the season.
“The bucks have started to move, the rut is done and they’ve become real aggressive,” Johnson said. “I’ve talked with a lot of hunters that have seen bucks chasing does during the past week.”
About 201,000 firearms deer licenses had been sold by Wednesday afternoon.
That’s less than half of what will be sold between now and opening day, according to Lou Cornicelli, big game program coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources.
He advises hunters to not wait any longer, but last-minute license purchases seem to be the norm on the day before the season opens.
“We’re on track with where we were last year at this time,” Cornicelli said. “I expect to see as many licenses purchased as last year, which means (today) will be a busy day for license vendors.”
License sales always peak on Friday, said Beth Lensing, office manager at Sportsman’s Warehouse.
Every year, 70-80 percent of the deer licenses sold at Sportsman’s Warehouse are purchased the day before the season opens.
License sales have been easier this season.
The elimination of several license options has reduced the confusion for hunters.
“Since there are fewer license options we haven’t had as many questions,” Lensing said.
St. Cloud area conservation officer Mike Martin said the state’s switch to a statewide license this year will cause less confusion in the field.
But as with most deer openers, this one will be busy for Martin and other conservation officers. Opening weekend can produce an around-the-clock workload.
He knows he will deal with trespassing complaints and deer baiting.
Martin also stresses that all hunters should make safety their No. 1 priority this year.
“Wear a lot of blaze orange — wear what’s required by law and then wear more,” Martin said. “It should be a good deer season and hopefully a safe one as well.”
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for those not from here this is the second of two state sportsmans holiday weekends , the spring governors walleye opener being the other ,
it represents a huge tourist attraction and a large portion of annual economy in many areas of the state - there is a fair sized incentive to preserve our gunrights in this alone
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