ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources begins accepting applications next Tuesday, July 1, for the two special archery deer hunts at Camp Ripley.

Because of military training needs, this year’s hunts are being held about a week later than usual: the weekends of Oct. 26-27 and Nov. 2-3.

The archery hunt at Camp Ripley is an annual event. The DNR coordinates the hunt with the Department of Military Affairs, which manages the 53,000-acre military reservation near Little Falls. It’s one of the largest archery deer hunts in the United States. The main attraction is that it provides hunters an opportunity to pursue one of Camp Ripley’s notoriously large bucks.

A total of 5,000 permits will be available for the two weekends.

Minnesota’s main firearms deer season opener is Nov. 9.