Hunters are in for a heck of a deer season this year. So says the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which estimates that there are about 1 million deer in the state.

“Minnesota’s deer population is up from last year, in part, because of the mild winter,” Lou Cornicelli, the DNR’s wildlife research manager, said in a press release. “Mild winters result in more survival of adults, more fawns being born, and more deer in the state’s fields and forests the following hunting season.” 

However, the population is not evenly distributed and in 2012 there are fewer areas where hunters can legally harvest more than one deer. The agency has reined in the harvest in some areas where the herd is too sparse.

In Northern Minnesota, the firearms deer season runs from Nov. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 18. The DNR has also instituted a late season in southeastern Minnesota, from Watertown to Caledonia, which will open Saturday, Nov. 17, and close on Sunday, Nov. 25.

In all other parts of the state, the season begins on Nov. 3 and ends on Sunday, Nov. 11. 

Hunters can buy licenses online, by phone (1-MN-LICENSE), or in person.

Here's a list of locations in Burnsville:

BURNSVILLE

• HOLIDAY STATIONSTORE #213 
14150 IRVING AVE S 
BURNSVILLE, MN 55337
(612) 892-1050

• DAKOTA COUNTY LICENSE CENTER 
1101 W COUNTY RD 42 
BURNSVILLE, MN 55306
(952) 891-7850

• HOLIDAY STATIONSTORE #412 
12290 NICOLLET AVE 
BURNSVILLE, MN 55337
(952) 736-8231

• DICK'S SPORTING GOODS #265 
901 COUNTY RD 42 WEST 
BURNSVILLE, MN 55306
(952) 898-0743

SAVAGE

• HOLIDAY STATIONSTORE #330 
7461 EGAN DR 
SAVAGE , MN 55378
(952) 226-1951

Can't find what you're looking for? Check out this list of locations throughout the Dakota County.