Rice Lake State Park in Steele County and Myre-Big Island State Park in Freeborn County will be partially closed during special deer hunts to prevent overpopulation of deer and protect resources, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced Monday.

The hunts will be held from Dec. 1-2 at Rice Lake and Dec. 1-3 at Myre-Big Island.

“Too many of one animal or plant species in an area can start to throw off the balance of other species in that area,” said Tavis Westbrook, Natural Resource Program coordinator for Minnesota State Parks and Trails. “When there are too many deer in a park, they feed too much on certain trees and native plants, so occasionally we allow deer hunts as a way to protect natural resources.”

Hunts will also take place at other Minnesota state parks and recreation areas this fall, and access to the parks will vary. Some will remain open to all visitors, some will have limited public access, and some will be open only to hunters with special permits. The deadlines have passed for youth and adults to apply for the permits to participate in the hunts, which include regular firearms, muzzleloader and archery options.

Visitors are advised to wear blaze orange or brightly colored clothing if they will be in the park while the hunt is in progress. Visitors should also check for hunt-related information at the park office when they arrive.

For a list of parks that are open, partially open, or closed during the 2018 hunting season, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/hunting.html or contact the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us or 888-646-6367 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Details on which areas of each park will be affected by the special deer hunts can also be found in the “Visitor Alert” boxes on the individual park Web pages at www.mndnr.gov.