The eighth annual Youth Gun Deer Hunt will take place Oct. 10-11 and is aimed at giving youths more deer-hunting opportunity.

Starting in 2009, Wisconsin’s new Mentored Hunting Law allows hunters as young as 10 years of age with or without hunter education certification, to participate in the youth gun deer hunt with a mentor.

The early date of the hunt provides milder weather 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, 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.

The hunt will be held in all deer management units (DMUs) statewide, except State Park units, Ft. McCoy, Chambers Island, Menomonee and the Apostle Islands other than Madeline Island.

Youth hunters 12 – 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 October 10 -11 accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. To “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 1 or 2 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 a game species that is open for them to hunt at that time.

More Information:
Wisconsin DNR: Youth Deer Hunt
Wisconsin DNR: Mentored Hunting Law