MADISON - The annual Wisconsin Youth Gun Deer Hunt will take place statewide on Oct. 8-9, for youth ages 10 -15.
Under Wisconsin’s Mentored Hunting Law, now in its third season, hunters as young as 10 years of age may participate – with or without hunter education certification – in the youth gun deer hunt with a mentor. The mentored hunting law also allows deer hunting during later seasons.
The early date of the hunt offers milder weather and allows more time in the field under more comfortable conditions for young hunters and their mentors. In addition to giving youths their own opportunity to experience the traditions of deer hunting in Wisconsin, the focus is on the youth and allows more time for the mentor to share skills and teach their charges how to hunt safely and ethically.
There are several changes from last year’s youth gun deer hunt. The junior antlerless gun deer carcass tag will now be valid statewide for youth hunters, allowing them to use it in “buck only” units. A separate, unit specific, antlerless tag will not be required in these units.
The hunt will be held in all deer management units (DMUs) statewide, except state park units, Ft. McCoy, Chambers Island, Menominee County and the Apostle Islands other than Madeline Island.
Wisconsin has two programs designed to introduce youths to deer hunting under controlled conditions and under close supervision of an adult hunter:
- Youth hunters 12 through 15 years of age (resident and non-resident) who possess a hunter education certificate of accomplishment and a gun deer hunting license may hunt deer Oct. 8-9 accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. “Accompany” means the adult is within both visual and voice contact of the youth. The adult does not have to be a licensed hunter or a hunter education graduate to accompany one or two youth who are at least 12 years of age and have completed a hunter education course.Adults accompanying youth hunters:
- may not “gun hunt” for deer during the youth hunt, but may possess a bow or gun and hunt for another game species that is open for them to hunt at that time; and
- may not accompany more than two youth hunters during the youth gun deer hunt at any given time.
- Youth hunters 10-11 years of age, or youth hunters 12-15 years of age who do not possess a hunter education certificate, but possess a mentored gun deer hunting license may hunt while “mentored” by an adult who is within arm’s reach at all times during the hunt.
- must be at least 18 years of age and have the youth’s parent or guardian’s permission to mentor the youth hunter;
- must possess a valid hunting license for the current year (any type of game), unless they are mentoring a youth on land that the mentor owns;
- must be a graduate of a hunter education course or have completed basic training with the U.S. Armed Force if the mentor was born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, they;
- may only mentor one youth hunter who is age 10 or 11, or who has not completed hunter education at any given time; and
- may not accompany more than two youth hunters. If one youth is hunting under “mentored hunter” rules, the adult may “accompany” no more than one other youth at the same time and only if the second youth is at least 12 to 15 years of age and has completed hunter education.
Qualified adult mentors:
Additionally, only one firearm or bow may be possessed jointly between the mentor and youth who is age 10 or 11, or who has not completed hunter education.
Qualified youth hunters may harvest one buck deer using their gun buck deer carcass tag and additional antlerless deer with the appropriate carcass tag valid in the unit in which they are hunting.
Earn-a-buck (EAB) restrictions do not apply to the hunter’s one green “gun buck deer carcass tag” in CWD EAB units. Following EAB rules, a youth may harvest and tag bucks or antlerless deer using the free 2011-12 or 2012-13 “CWD Deer Carcass Tags” in CWD units. Further details on EAB rules and CWD tags is available on page 15 of 2011 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations.
All hunters and their mentors must observe blaze orange clothing requirements.
All deer, bear, turkey and small game hunters, with the exception of waterfowl hunters, are also required to meet blaze orange requirements on these two days.
More information on the youth deer hunt and Mentored Hunting Law is available on the DNR Web site and in the 2011 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Hirchert (608) 264-6023 or Adam Collins (608) 264-6282
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