ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Officials say many Minnesota deer hunters had a good opening weekend.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says firearms hunters registered 85,163 deer on Saturday and Sunday. That’s 89 more than on last year’s opening weekend.

The DNR said Tuesday the early numbers suggest the overall harvest will be somewhat higher than last year, when hunters took about 195,000 deer.

But Lou Cornicelli, the DNR’s big game coordinator, says it’s difficult to make precise comparisons. Unlike past years, when hunters took their deer to registration stations, 54 percent of this year’s hunters registered their deer by phone or online.

The regular firearms season continues through Sunday for most of the state.

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