ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s deer harvest rose 7 percent during the 2010 season, compared with the previous year.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says thanks to ideal hunting weather during opening weekend of the firearms season, hunters harvested a total of 207,000 deer during the 2010 season. That’s the 13th largest harvest on record.

The DNR says Minnesota’s deer harvests have moderated in recent years, because the deer herd is at or near population goals across much of the state. Some areas of the state may actually have seen a lower harvest rate.

Firearms hunters harvested 176,200 deer, an 8 percent increase. Archery hunters harvested 21,500 deer — a 4 percent increase from 2009 — while muzzleloader hunters harvested 9,300 deer, a 12 percent increase from the previous year.

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