Minnesota firearms deer season opener is Saturday with the weather outlook perfect for hunters

Mostly sunny with a high near 50. That's the projected forecast for the opener, which according to Paul Burr with the Minnesota Department of Resources is ideal.

"Temperature really affects hunter success and also participation," Burr says. "We've seen some years where it's rainy and kind of crummy weather, a lot less harvest. This year, you know, like you said, in the 50s, looking like the rain's going to hold off. It should be a great opening weekend, which means we hopefully see a lot of hunters out and we see a lot of deer harvest too."

400,000 hunters are expected to be out this weekend and that's just those with firearms. Archery season is still in effect.

"They can be wherever's open to hunting, so there is no kind of spatial segregation of those hunters," Burr explains. "But archery hunters should be aware that if a firearm season is occurring, that they will have to abide by that blaze orange requirement."

Burr says having warmer winters the past couple of seasons should make for a healthy herd this year.

"During the overall health of the deer herd throughout Minnesota, it varies quite a bit, but in general, it's doing good," Burr adds. "It's pretty robust. We've had three very, very mild winters. A few of those winters were pretty much nonexistent, and that really bodes well for the deer population."

The DNR has a statewide limit of five deer.