The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is beginning a new three-year research project in northeastern Minnesota to gather additional data on deer populations. The DNR will place cameras on public and private lands to gather additional deer density data in deer permit areas 169, 176, 177, 178, 197 and 679 in portions of Cass, Beltrami, Itasca, Hubbard and St. Louis counties.

Traditional deer population modeling relies heavily on hunter harvest data. This project will provide additional data to increase confidence in making harvest decisions in the study area. The data will also help managers better understand if deer densities differ between private and public lands, which could potentially be the basis for changing the way antlerless tags are allocated in the future.

To assist in processing the massive amounts of data collected with time-lapsed photography, the project will use machine learning and artificial intelligence programs. Results and final analysis of the data are expected in 2027.