Walz announces that the 2024 Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener will be held Friday in Sandstone

On November 8, 2024By Pranco

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KTTC) – Deer hunting season is starting very soon and the governor plans to celebrate it again this year.

The 2024 Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener takes place in east-central Minnesota at the Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone on Friday and Saturday.

“The season opener is a valuable event that brings communities together and connects us to the outdoors. I am grateful to the Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone for hosting this year’s deer hunting opener. Their exceptional natural resources and world-class educational facilities will make for a great opening weekend.”

This year’s celebration is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Explore Minnesota, in partnership with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Bluffland Whitetails Association and the Minnesota Conservation Federation.

“I am thrilled that the Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center will be hosting this year’s Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener. They provide a phenomenal location to showcase Minnesota’s beautiful natural resources and hunting areas,” said Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. “I wish the 400,000 hunters who will participate this season the best of luck.”

The Governor’s recognition and celebration of Minnesota’s open firearm deer hunting season will take place on Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9.

“Every year I look forward to welcoming Minnesota deer hunters to the deer park, wherever that deer park may be located. It is a Minnesota tradition that is as much about the memories made with friends and family, both old and new, and our connections to the outdoors, as it is about the harvest,” said Minnesota DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen. “I am excited to work with partners and members of the Sandstone community to make those memories and connections as Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center hosts this year’s Minnesota Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener.”

“The location of this year’s Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener provides an opportunity to highlight the Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone, an educational institution with historic roots on Grindstone Lake that serves more than 15,000 children, adults and families annually.

“Minnesota’s annual deer hunting season is a major driver of spending at tourism-related businesses following the summer and fall seasons. The dollars invested by deer hunters provide critical support to local businesses and serve as a cornerstone for the overall economic well-being of our state.”

Highlights of the 2024 Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener include a listening session, a lymph node extraction demonstration, a deer processing demo, deer sampling and a tour of the Sandstone Wildlife Management Area.

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