The number of small game hunters in Minnesota in 2024 decreased slightly from 2023 and was 5% below the 10-year average. Overall, 228,661 small game licenses were sold for the 2024 hunting seasons, compared to the 10-year average of 240,812 small game licenses. But like the previous season, hunters who pursued the top small game species (waterfowl, grouse and pheasants) had similar or slightly better success rates compared to the 10-year averages, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ small game hunter mail survey.
The annual survey estimates the number of hunters and harvest and hunter success rates for two dozen species. The survey asks small game license buyers if they hunted, what species they hunted, how many days they spent hunting and the amount of harvest by species. Highlights of the 2024 results for harvest, hunter numbers and success include:
Canada geese
- 28,037 hunters in 2024, 32% below the 10-year average of 41,454 hunters.
- An estimated 121,028 geese harvested, 45% below the 10-year average of 219,817 geese.
- Hunter success was 73%, and successful hunters bagged six geese on average, similar to the 10-year averages.
Ducks
- 82,003 state duck stamps sold, similar to 2023 sales and 5% below the 10-year average.
- 46,028 hunters, 28% below the 10-year average of 63,710 hunters.
- Harvest of about 485,000 ducks, down 24% from the 10-year average of 640,475 ducks.
- Eighty-six percent of hunters were successful, bagging 12.2 ducks on average, which was greater than the 10-year average of 12 ducks.
Pheasants
- 77,135 pheasant stamps sold in 2024, 2% below 2023 sales and about 2% greater than the 10-year average of 75,962 stamps.
- An estimated 50,935 hunters went afield, which was 6% lower than the 10-year average of 53,931 hunters.
- Harvest of about 235,000 roosters, 17% more than the 10-year average of 200,937 roosters.
- Hunter success of 69%, similar to the 10-year average, and an average harvest of 6.7 roosters, above the 10-year average of 5.4 roosters.
Ruffed grouse
- An estimated 75,390 hunters pursued grouse in 2024, 7% above the 10-year average of 70,655 hunters.
- Harvest of about 335,000 grouse, a 29% increase compared to the 10-year average.
- Hunter success was 72%, slightly above the 10-year average of 70%.
- Successful hunters bagged 6.1 grouse each, about one bird more than the 10-year average.
To help get more hunters afield, the Minnesota DNR works to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters in a variety of ways. Examples include digital marketing campaigns, outdoor skills webinars, and a learn to hunt page with hunting tips and information about public land where hunters can pursue small game. Some examples of public land are hunter walking trails, ruffed grouse management areas, Walk-In Access land and wildlife management areas.
In recent years, duck and pheasant stamp sales have been quite a bit higher than the numbers of hunters pursuing these species, which could reflect those with a hunting tradition who have curtailed their hunting but continue to support conservation efforts by buying stamps. The complete small game hunter survey report is on the Minnesota DNR website.