Youth deer hunt set for October 6-7
MADISON – The fifth annual Youth Gun Deer Hunt in Wisconsin will be Oct. 6-7. This special hunt was established to provide more youth deer hunting opportunity.
The early date means that in most years weather conditions will be mild allowing more time in the field under more comfortable conditions for the youngsters and their hunting mentors. In addition to giving youths their own opportunity to experience the traditions of deer hunting in Wisconsin, there is more time for the mentor to share skills and teach their charges how to hunt safely and ethically.
The hunt will be held in all deer management units (DMUs) statewide, except State Park units, and non-quota units
Youth hunters ages 12 to 15 who have successfully completed a hunter education program and possess a gun deer hunting license may participate in this hunt.
“It’s a great time to be in the woods to experience scouting, patterning and hunting deer with a new hunter,” says Keith Warnke, deer and bear ecologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “These are all the skills that hunters will need to be successful in the future.”
Youths must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. Adult mentors may not hunt and cannot accompany more than two youth hunters. Qualified youth hunters may harvest one buck deer on their gun buck deer carcass tag and additional antlerless deer with the appropriate carcass tag.
Earn-a-buck restrictions do not apply in EAB units during the youth hunt. All hunters and their mentors must observe blaze orange clothing requirements All deer, bear, and small game hunters, with the exception of waterfowl hunters, also are required to meet blaze orange requirements on these two days. For more information on the youth hunt, check the 2007 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations pamphlet.
Hunters are reminded to check their EAB status online as soon as possible.
“Now is the time to prepare for the November gun season. We want to get EAB stickers out to deserving hunters as early as we can,” Warnke says.
More information is on the deer hunting page of the DNR Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023
