CAMBRIDGE, Minnesota — As the sun was setting, the trucks kept coming to Diamond J Big Game Processing in Cambridge on Sunday.
"Yeah, we're always staying busy," said John Jaloszynski, owner and operator of Diamond J. "It's been a good season. A lot more bucks this year than last year, I would say. Last year it was a lot more does."
Craig Larson of Ham Lake hunted north of Cambridge over the past two weekends.
"Last weekend it was pretty slow and a lot of rain and the deer weren't moving very well. A lot of people got them, but I didn't. I saw a few, but it wasn't very good last weekend. This weekend was better. The deer started to move today. They started moving more than they have," Larson said.
Larson brought a doe to get processed at Diamond J on Sunday afternoon.
"There was an enormous amount of deer that could have been shot this year. So you could have taken your pick, essentially, where we hunt anyways," said Ally Hansen of Cambridge.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' 2024 preliminary deer harvest data, as of Nov. 14, 103,589 deer have been harvested in the state.
The DNR told KARE 11 news partner MPR that firearm deer harvest numbers for the season opener were up by about 4% from last year. However, statewide numbers were still down 12% relative to the five year mean.
"I mean look back... in the old days when it was usually below 0° or 10° and you had a foot of snow on the ground come deer season. We don't have that anymore. So I think it's making it tougher for guys to see them and get them," Jaloszynski said.
Prior to the start of firearms deer season, the DNR reported deer populations fared well over the winter for much of the state. However, according to the DNR, deer populations in the northeast region are still low and "will take multiple years to recover from several severe winters in prior years."
This season, some hunters have also had to deal with windy conditions.
"You don't hear the deer coming in because you can usually hear them tapping along," Larson said. "But when the wind is like that, you don't know what it is because the leaves are blowing in the wind."
But overall, both Larson and Hansen felt positive about their experiences this season.
Hansen added, "Good season. I was glad that it was successful and now we're good. It was nice to sleep in today."
Minnesota's 2024 seasons and hunts can be found, here.
Wisconsin's gun deer hunting season begins on Saturday.