Sandstone chosen for the 2024 Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener

On Friday, Gov. Tim Walz announced the 2024 Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener will take place in east-central Minnesota at the Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone. The event is Friday, November 8, and Saturday, November 9 and includes a listening session, lymph node extraction demo, deer processing demo and venison sampling, and a tour of Sandstone Wildlife Management Area.

“The season opener is a treasured event that brings communities together and connects us with the outdoors,” Governor Walz said in a release. “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.”

Now in its third decade, the Minnesota Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener celebrates the state’s white-tailed deer hunting heritage.

This event is being organized by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Explore Minnesota, in partnership with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Bluffland Whitetails Association, and the Minnesota Conservation Federation.

The Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone is a nonprofit organization that provides children, adults, and families with outdoor learning and experiences year-round at their 780-acre nature campus.

“The location of this year’s Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener provides the opportunity to highlight Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone, an education facility with historic roots on Grindstone Lake that serves more than 15,000 children, adults and families each year,” Explore Minnesota Director Lauren Bennett McGinty said in the release. “Minnesota’s annual deer hunting season is a significant driver of spending at tourism-related businesses beyond summer and fall color seasons. The dollars invested by deer hunters provide crucial support to local businesses, serving as a cornerstone for the overall economic well-being of our state.”

The firearm deer season opens in Minnesota on Saturday, November 9.