ST. PAUL — For the second year in a row, Minnesota hunters will have a tough time trying to bag a deer this fall.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources told hunters Tuesday to expect another conservative season as the agency works to rebuild the size of the state’s whitetail herd.

While Minnesota’s deer numbers are recovering, officials say one-deer limits will apply again for most hunters this fall.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports the DNR put similar restrictions in place last year that made it Minnesota’s most conservative hunting season in more than 20 years.

That included a one-deer-per-hunter limit in about 95 percent of the state — a major change from past years when in many areas hunters could harvest up to five.

Last year, hunters killed about 139,000 deer.