Youth Deer Seasons

[Nut]

In my state they are finally proposing a 2 day youth deer season where (I believe)they are allowed to use a shotgun,muzzloader and or pistol with 5" barrel for the hunts. They have to be under 17 and accompied by a licensed non-hunting adult. I dont know if they will close the archery season for this yet. They probably will allow it but for all to wear hunter's orange. It is 9 days before the start of the 1 week gun season.

I posted a poll on a forum for my state and there were 2 no answers so far but nobody gave the reasons they would be against it.

What are your thoughts if you were a bowhunter in my state and they proposed it to you?

 

[MarlandS]

I'd be all for it since it would give a kid a chance at a deer before the opening day fireworks made them all gunny and nocturnal.

Most anything that could spark the Hunter in a kid is worth it.

 

[BuzzH]

Nut why not just let the kids start a couple days before the adults during the gun season?

Or better yet, have the archery hunters give up one day at the end of the archery season and the gun hunters give up one day of their rifle season toward the beginning.

 

[Ithaca 37]

I like the idea. I wouldn't put it for two days before the regular season because lots of guys like to go out then and put up stands, etc. There's usually some commotion in the woods then.

 

[Tom]

We have one of those youth only weekends here. Its the weekend before gun season, which is in between or overlapping with the end of bow season. We need something to get more youth to hunt, I hope these things work.
This state also has a lot of places where its a youth only hunt during the regular season. Actuall areas just for youth accompanied by an adult. That might work better on public land? If guys are scouting for the comming gun season or something like that, there could be a special area for just youth. That might be an alternate to the open youth dates being everywhere. My general thought is that it is a very good idea to get youth to hunt with things like this. I admire and appreciate those on the forum here who take a youth out.

 

[MEATHEAD]

We have 2, two day hunts for youth. One is the weekend before muzzleloader. The other is the last two days of the season

This is the best 4 days of the season for me. If you have never had that experience of hunting with a kid when they take the first deer, you have missed the best hunt ever. It's better than Christmas.

 

[Nut]

I think they put it the weekend before because of what Ithaca stated.

I dont think they will be stopping everybody from hunting either. Bowhunters here can hunt with a bow even during the gun season and muzzleloaders days. Only have to wear ornage for safety reasons.

There is a open house at the districts March 2nd that I will be going to and plan on getting more info.

Why I like this is at the Open House 2 years ago I proposed a youth deer season.

 

[dgibson]

I think any complaint the bowhunters had would be selfish; they already get umpteen days a year, why not give a couple to the kids? And, as you said, they could still bowhunt if they wanted to.

 

[Nut]

Okay here is the thread in the board about the poll. I made a reply to the no answers.

How did I do?

Youth Deer Season proposed for November 22 and 23,2003.

Hunters under 17 can hunt deer accompied by a licensed non-hunting adult.

Are you for or against and why?
_______________
Take a child hunting


Here are the no replies


Lewis

I dont want to be a party pooper,but I would be against a statewide hunt.
I do however agree with youth hunts at selected areas,such as we have now.These are a little more controlled and supervised.
Also for those of you that hunt public land,you know how skittish deer can become after being shot at a few times.
Would the kids have to accompanied by an adult?
How many bozos would just drag a kid along thats not really interested just to shoot another deer.
I see lots of potential for abuse here.
Lots of teenagers checking in a deer that dad or uncle Bob actually shot.
If you want to take a teenager hunting take him during the regular gun season.


__________________
Lew



scott trout

i think it is a good idea , as long as it doesnt have any adverse effects on the gun season like the youth turkey hunts have had on my turkey seasons.try finding a bird on public land that hasnt been called to 50 times before adult opening day.i know they want to get kids involved in turkey hunting , but when they are talked to for 2 weeks before i can hunt them it makes them i little more call shy.im still rather new to turkey hunting but i still think that it has an advers effect on the adult season espcially on public land.

p.s. i have kids of my own so dont think i hate kids.



scott trout

i take that back ,i disagree with the youth hunt after i found out that ill have to wear orange when i bow hunt that weekend. one good thing is that i hunt a farm that butts up agenst camp beldin in lorain county (kids only hunting area) they should push some deer my way. last year durring the early youth small game hunts i saw close to 15 deer a day. if your a parent and and thinking of taking the kids hunting hit camp beldin its loaded with deer and turkeys.iv seen several p&y bucks in that area , not to mention the countless long birds.



george tinkham

i do not like it,just read about it in col. dispatch.it shortens bowseason and now these deer will be going nocturnal earlier.and why those datees?why not move the dates to the days before gun season starts or ends?no i am not for it,take the kids bowhunting on those days.




Aimrite
Master Sportsman

NO
Im against it because of the dates interfering with bow season. There is no reason it cant be 27thand 28th after gun season



Here is my reply to their posts


Nut

Thanks for the answers.

Lewis. why do you think the bozos dont tag the deer they kill also during archery season? Just stop and home and get the kid and his tag and go to check station. Very easily done.
This will help the sons and daughters of the guys who wont take them during gun season and other seasons. It will encourage more youth to have hunting as a part of their heritage and memories.
But I understand where you are coming from.


Scott, does orange clash with your eyes? But if the youth push the deer to you it would be a good thing? It is okay until it affects you in some way?


George. how exactly does it shorten the archery season? I dont see it because you can use a bow or crossbow the whole deer season. Just have to wear orange on some days. Does orange clash with your eyes also?

Aimrite.. the 27th and 28th or what month after gun season? Gun season is DECEMBER 1st to the 7th.


I see the no answers from selfish motivations purely.

You cant get unless you give back to the following hunters. I would hunt with a child anytime I get the chance. Of course I have 3 sons but only 2 are eligable for the youth season.

But maybe they will have their deer in the first week of archery season and it would be moot for them to go. Then I hope to take a youth that has passed the course and would not otherwise have a chance to go hunting . Cant you do that at least once this coming season? Take a youth hunting?




So did I do okay with my reply?

 

[Elkhunter]

Nut, I would be totally for it if it were here. From what I see above is that those hunters are just plain selfish and would rather take another deer for themself tnan to help a youth learn about hunting and get into hunting. It is people like that that need to be slapped upside the head with a friggin branch. I hope the youth program is a success over there.

 

[BuzzH]

Nut, welcome to the frustrating world of hunter management.

Yep, most people dont really care about kids or the elderly.

Several years ago I proposed an elk/deer hunt for the elderly near Missoula MT, on a mostly state owned Wildlife Management Area. I did lots of legwork, found businesses to sponsor the hunt, etc. Wrote up a nice proposal, sent it to the F&G commission, etc. etc. etc.

I got nowhere because it would have "taken" away opportunity for the average hunter. People complained, just the like the ones you described, you just cant get away from that, they're selfish.

Good luck and I hope you succeed with the youth season.

 

[MEATHEAD]

Nut, some people just don't under stand what it means to get a kid hooked on hunting. It looks like they would rather have the deer to there self. Whata shame

 

[Nut]

Here is the latest round on the other forum...

scott trout "good one nut (name fits you well) orange dosnt hurt my eyes but it does hurt my chances of being unseen by deer."



george tinkham "why not stick it on the sat. and sun. before the mon. opener if they must put it before gun season?nut do you know what happens to deer once guns start blasting?and i do not want to be out there during the main gun season because of safety and i suspect thats why the odnr don't want the children in the main season too...safety.i would still rather it be at the end of gun season."

Lewis "Actually my reasons for being against it are not selfish,as it wouldnt really affect me at all.I hunts 2 huge tracts of land that are private.
I am not anti youth at all.
My biggest concern is some of the atrocities and game laws that are constantly broken during deer gun seasons.
ODNR is already spread pretty thin.
I also feel that if a child is mature enough to handle a slug gun to shoot a deer,he could do so during the regular season.
My 2 sons who are now grown and I have enjoyed many days afield pursuing deer during the regular deer season."
__________________
Lew

and here is my response

Nut

"Scott the deer that I have had experience with seem to be color blind when it comes to orange. They never noticed I had orange on. They didnt see me until I foolishly made a movement.


george I have been out during the opening of deer gun. That is one reason I dont want them out there during it unless we are on private land. But look at your reply. You dont go out during gun season so it is okay to put a youth season right around it,either the 2 days before or after. Since you will be home ,it wont affect you any then. What would you think if someone made that reply to you?

Lewis , you gave a valid opinion but the abuses occur regardless of what hunting implement is used. Not just hunters who use guns. There always will be abuses unless we bring up the next generation of hunters with the fibre to follow all game laws.

Maybe if they should put it October 4th and 5th right before any adults could hunt. Then maybe it would cut down on potential abuses? They do that with all the other seasons that have a special all state youth season "
__________________
Take a child hunting





So am I at least giving valid replies?

I dont have any links for this debate except opinions.

 

[MarlandS]

Nut, you're doing good. Might I offer some things to take to your debate that you might not have thought of?

Do some quick research , surely there's a state that requires orange during achey season, then see if you can find the success ratios for it and a state that doesn't.
This debate is very important, we are losing too many hunters each year , and without getting new members into the ranks we will die out.
Is it an unfair advantage for the kids to go out and make the deer spooky before the regular gun season? I don't think so, I think it will give those less skilled (the kids) a chance to become skilled and those more skilled (the adults) a chance to increase their skills by hunting a more wary prey.

 

[Nut]

Well I did a search and did not find any records I could use. But here is the link because I believe I was a little convincing.

Nut's Youth Post at other board

 

[dgibson]

Looks good to me, Nut! Just like the response we get in KY...everybody thumps their chest and talks about getting more kids involved, but only if someone else does it, and it doesn't interfere with THEIR time. I mean, bow season only runs from mid-September thru January...I'd hate for them to lose a whole two days of it.

Better watch out, too, because those big bucks will "go nocturnal." Puh-leez.

 

[Bambistew]

I'm all for youth seasons. I don't think that there are that many youths (or parents) that will take advantage of it which is a shame.

Here in Maryland we have a youth season, two weeks (I think) before the general season opens. I have seen no adverse affects of the season. The deer are alway skitish, even during bow season.

These hunters that oppose it are just selfish, it just a DEER not the holy grail... The odds of these "hunters" getting a big buck is probably pretty much minimal anyhow, and the odds of the youths gettin a big one is even worse...IMO The real hunters that do their home work will know where the bucks live and how to get to them.

Pretty sad that these so called "hunters" are afraid of compition (if you could call it that)from children...

Ivan

 

[tnctcb]

we have youth only hunts in florida now. they are only on public land and the kids apply to the management area they want to hunt.same basic rules kids must be accompanied by a liscenced non hunting adult.these hunts are generally before archery season even begins and the sucess rates are pretty high.since we dont have to apply for tags here it also gives kids an opportunity to get rejected so that when they get ready to go out west for elk they fully understand applying 5 years drawing 1

,couldnt resist that one.
these hunts have gone over great in florida and its one of the few things here that game and fish does to preserve the sport