Minnesota’s firearms deer season began a half-hour before sunrise Saturday, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources expects half a million hunters to participate.

Some points to remember:

Hunters will have additional deer hunting opportunities because deer numbers continue to rebound across the state. Many areas now have populations at or above goal levels.

Hunters should follow the three tenets of safe firearms handling: Treat each firearm as if it is loaded by keeping finger off the trigger; always control the muzzle of the firearm; and be sure of target and what is beyond. Tree stand accidents are the leading cause of injury to hunters, so it’s always important they wear a safety harness and follow other safety guidelines.

The DNR requires hunters in central, north-central and southeast Minnesota (including deer permit area 255) to have their harvested deer tested for chronic wasting disease during opening weekend of the season Saturday and Sunday. Mandatory CWD testing also will occur in much of southeast Minnesota during the opening weekend of the 3B season Nov. 17 and Nov. 18. During both periods, stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hunters can find information about CWD testing locations and procedures at mndnr.gov/cwd and in the 2018 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet.

Hunters can find deer hunting information at mndnr.gov/hunting/deer and join in on social media using #DeerCampMN. They can direct hunting questions to the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.