Cloquet’s in-city bow hunt off to a slow start

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Cloquet’s first-ever in-city bow hunt has not yielded large numbers just yet – either in terms of permit applications or deer.

According to Terry Hill, deputy police chief, only five bow hunters have thus far applied for special permits to hunt deer by bow in specified zones within the city limits since the start of the season Sept. 19. Among those five, only two have actually taken deer, including one doe and one buck.

“The new ordinance states that a hunter must first harvest one antlerless deer prior to harvesting a buck,” clarified Hill. “Since the ordinance is so new, however, the hunter who took the buck was not aware of that rule.”

The city of Cloquet passed the new ordinance at a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 1, altering the city code to allow for bow hunting in designated areas within the city. The ordinance was based on similar ordinances already in place in surrounding communities such as Proctor, Duluth, Hermantown and Superior. Essentially, the Cloquet ordinance requires deer hunters to apply for a permit in writing through the Cloquet Police Department, and it must include specifics regarding the legal description of the land where the hunter intends to hunt as well as the signature of the owner of that land.

Hunters who are successful in harvesting a deer through such a permit must report it to the Cloquet Police Department and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources within 24 hours.

Cloquet Police have pledged to report to the city council on a regular basis regarding the number of deer taken and any issues that may arise with an eye toward modifying the ordinance as the need arises.

Hill said only one issue has come up thus far regarding hunting in the area north of the St. Louis River Bridge and east of Highway 33 designated as Zone B in the ordinance.

“There is a large property owner in that zone whose policies prohibit hunting on company land,” explained Hill. “We are in the process of revisiting our policy as it regards that particular zone with an eye toward making some adjustments for next year.”

Hill said there are a few private property owners in Zone B as well who may still agree to hunting on their land.

“We knew we’d have to make adjustments [to the ordinance], and that’s what we’re doing,” summed up Hill.

The Minnesota bow hunting season for deer, by which the Cloquet city ordinance abides as well, lasts up until Dec. 31.

Tags: northland, outdoors, hunting, cloquet