Photos: A warm deer opener brings some hunters luck, others not so much

Dave Sanders looks for deer in his hunting grove.
Dave Sanders looked for deer in his hunting grove near Amboy. Sanders said he has been hunting since he was 12 and it was something he always looked forward to when he was in school. After not catching a deer in the morning, he switched to pheasant hunting in the afternoon and had better success, getting six birds.
Jackson Forderer for MPR News

On a beautiful sunny morning, some Minnesota hunting families once again shared their tradition of getting together for the official deer opener, which began a half hour before sunrise Saturday.

Hunters across the state set out to catch a trophy buck, find some prized venison or simply enjoy nature.

Many hunters were lucky to even catch a glimpse of a deer; some complained that coyotes are causing the deer population to shrink.

The Department of Natural Resources says the deer population is on the rise after last year's mild winter and hunting season when fewer antlerless deer permits were issued.

This season will also be what the DNR calls a conservative one, where there will be fewer antlerless deer permits given in an effort to increase the number of deer.

Yet some groups still managed to get a deer or two.

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