Mille Lacs Area Deer Opener

The blaze orange signs have been up for weeks, welcoming deer hunter's to the Mille Lacs area for the Saturday, November 8th Minnesota opener.

With just hours left before the opener, weather conditions are becoming interesting. It has rained most of today (Thursday), sopping area ditches and low-lying areas making for a crunch-less walk through the woods at this point. What effect this will have on deer remains to be seen but the current forecast calls for rain mixed to snow later Friday with flurries and a high of 33 on Saturday.

A hard freeze over night Friday would allow snow to stay on the ground, assisting with deer tracking. It could also force deer to stay in their beds and swamps and prevent their usual movements associated with more gentle weather.

What we do know is that Mille Lacs Lake proper borders on the following five zones with hunting dates: Area Zones: 152 (Wahkon, Izatys, South Harbor is a two-deer limit area/managed), 157 (Isle to Mora to Hinkley is a intensive deer-hunt/up to 5) 154 (Malmo, Aitkin is a 1-deer limit area/lottery). These three zones are open 8-23 November. A fourth zone, 249, is Garrison and east to Highway 371 with a Northern Border of Highway 18. Zone 249 is also a 1-deer limit/lottery area with a short season of Nov. 8-16. The fifth zone, 222, runs South from Onamia to Highway 95 (E-W) is a intensive deer-hunt/up to 5). Rifles can be used in all zones.

Lake Area Deer Registration Stations By County on Lake:

Malmo

Malmo Market, Jct Hwys 47 and 18, open 6am-9pm Sun-Thur; 6am- 10pm Fri-Sat

Westerlund's Service Jct Hwys 47 and 18 6am-10pm Sun-Thur; 6am-10pm Fri-Sat

Crow Wing

Garrison

Tutt's Bait 449 Hwy 18 W 7am-8pm daily

Mille Lacs

Isle

Johnson's Portside, 42099 Hwy 47

Mille Lacs BP 750 Hwy 47 S M-T 5:30-10, F-S 5-10, Sun 5-10

Wahkon

Morningstar Market, Main Street

Onamia

Meleen's BP, Intersection of Hwy 169/27 West

Lundeen's Tackle Castle, Intersection of Hwy 169/27 West

Send Us Your Trophy Deer Pictures and we will post on this page. Send us your contact information off this site and we may do a further update on your successful hunt! Good luck!