The public will have the opportunity to discuss deer-related issues with local wildlife managers, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The meeting will be 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, located at 1304 21st St. NE in Austin. The meeting is one of many taking place around the state between mid-August and early September to discuss deer-related topics including upcoming hunting regulation changes that were released in early August.

These local, open house meetings are a way to encourage conversations about deer and deer management, enhance local relationships and foster two-way communication between the DNR and the public.

The DNR began the meetings last year with the release of its statewide deer management plan. This is the second dedicated opportunity for conversation about deer-related topics this year; the first meetings were held in March and April.

In addition to discussing general concerns about deer, people can ask DNR staff about last year’s harvest data, provide topics that the DNR’s deer advisory committee should be aware of, and discuss upcoming hunting season changes. Regulations released earlier this month reflect disease management needs, as well as feedback that was gathered from surveys and open house meetings in the spring.

The open houses do not include formal presentations; people can arrive any time during the scheduled meeting times.

The DNR encourages people who can’t attend a scheduled meeting, but who have questions about deer management, to contact a local wildlife manager. A list of area wildlife offices is available online at mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife.