Why is the youth deer season so short?

SupressYourself

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;:;rant
I mean... they give you all kinds of flexibility by making it a guaranteed tag and allowing you to hunt the entire state, and then they hamstring you by making it a 10 day season in fricken September. WTF?
For me personally, it couldn't be at a worse time. That's when I'm in WY or CO hunting elk with pointy sticks. Regardless of my own selfish needs to hunt elk, parents are busy. You give them 2 weekends to try to get their kids on deer?
 


Lycanthrope

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Also why cant we trap deer? Who determines what animals are allowed to be trapped and which arent? I bet I could snare the F out of some deer!
 


Walleye_Chaser

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That seems stupid to me that it would ONLY be for youth season, why not allow it during regular season as well?
 

wjschmaltz

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Probably mostly has something to do with letting them hunt before the bird hunters are out there. Probably the best that way. From what I gathered during my youth sports reffing days in college, likely the only person lacking common sense more than a child with a rifle in their hands is the Dad that is living vicariously through them.
 

catchindeers

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Unless its the Antlerless season, license is valid during the regular gun season.


  • Antlerless White-tailed Deer for Ages 11 (by the end of the calendar year), 12 and 13 – The license is valid only during the dates of the youth season.
  • Youth Deer – Ages 14 (by the end of the calendar year) and 15 - If the licensee is unsuccessful in harvesting a deer during the youth deer season, the license is also valid during the regular deer gun season. Restricted youth antlered mule deer licenses are valid only for the specific unit during either season.
 

Obi-Wan

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;:;rant
I mean... they give you all kinds of flexibility by making it a guaranteed tag and allowing you to hunt the entire state, and then they hamstring you by making it a 10 day season in fricken September. WTF?
For me personally, it couldn't be at a worse time. That's when I'm in WY or CO hunting elk with pointy sticks. Regardless of my own selfish needs to hunt elk, parents are busy. You give them 2 weekends to try to get their kids on deer?

You should think about not Elk hunting one year on concentrate on the kid. But don't worry after their guaranteed buck tag they won't get another tag for years so you will have plenty of time chasing Elk.
 

Allen

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Well, not that many years ago there were no youth tags, you had to be 14 and apply in the regular deer gun lottery just like everyone else. It was a concession made for people who were willing to put their kids' hunt ahead of their own interests, there is ALWAYS something going on somewhere else, for either you or the kids, regardless of when and how long the season lasts. My kids had a total of 7 youth season tags and while it was challenging to get them out and on deer, they were successful on 6 of them, including a couple of really nice bucks. We just had to work around volleyball, cross-country and custody schedules to make it happen.
 


SupressYourself

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Yes this one:

  • Antlerless White-tailed Deer for Ages 11 (by the end of the calendar year), 12 and 13 – The license is valid only during the dates of the youth season.
Near as I can tell, it's only valid those 10 days.

And for those of you who are implying that I'm coming from some place of "entitlement", WTF? I warned you all that this was a "rant"...

Just seems odd that they make it really easy to get, put almost zero restrictions on the area you can hunt, but give you a relatively short time to get it done.
 
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1lessdog

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There is lots of public land in MN. The youth season is always teachers convention. So it's Thursday thru Sunday. And nonresidents can hunt to.N.D. sucks that it's only residents can hunt. But any youth hunter can hunt MN.

Participation
Youth ages 10 to 17 may participate. Youth ages 10 to 13 must be accompanied by an adult parent/guardian/mentor 18 or older. The adult does not need to be licensed.
The accompanying adult cannot hunt in most areas and party hunting is not allowed (youth must tag their own deer). Adults may hunt in areas where the early antlerless season is open with the correct license.
Participation does not affect eligibility for the regular deer season; however, deer harvested during the youth season count toward the youth’s annual statewide bag limit.
Requirements
Participating youth must possess a valid firearm deer license. Youth age 10, 11, and 12 must possess a free license. Youth age 12 and older must also have a firearms safety certificate or apprentice hunter validation.
An early antlerless deer license is not required for youth to participate in the youth deer season. Only youth who continue hunting in an area open for the early antlerless season after their youth license is filled need to possess an early antlerless license.
Blaze orange/pink requirements apply to all hunters, trappers and adult mentors during this season.
New: Youth possessing a firearms license may use a crossbow.
Bag limit/bonus tags
The bag limit is one either sex deer. If the youth is hunting in an early antlerless area, he or she may take up to five antlerless deer with the correct licenses.
Youth may not take antlerless deer in permit areas designated bucks-only.
Legal bucks must be tagged with the youth’s firearm license. Bonus tags are not valid for legal bucks. Party hunting is not allowed.
Deer permit area designations for the youth season are the same as the firearms season. A permit area designated either-sex during the firearm season is either-sex during the youth deer season.
Youth may use a bonus tag rather than their youth firearm license tag for antlerless deer in permit areas designated two-deer limit or three-deer limit, or where the early antlerless season is in effect.
In disease management areas (600-series) youth may use a disease management permit in place of a bonus permit to tag antlerless deer.
Youth must use their youth firearm license tag if they take an antlerless deer in a permit area designated antlerless permit lottery or either-sex. Bonus tags are not valid in these areas.
The youth season is open statewide.
Crossbows are allowed.
The Whitewater State Game Refuge in Winona County is open only to youth participating in the Youth Deer Season. It is not open to early-antlerless season hunters.
Itasca State Park (Deer Permit Area 287) is closed during the Youth Deer Season.
 

Longtine

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I personally think that it wouldn't hurt to let it run through the end of bow season (Jan). Why place time limits on 11-13 year old kids.....it's a doe tag, who cares. Is the population going to be decimated? I'll give up my tag....and I actually have one this year.....to see a smile on a kids face.
 

KDM

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Anybody that's been on NDA for more than 30 seconds knows I'm all about the youngsters. However, here's my question: How much privilege do you grant before requiring personal accountability, understanding, and responsibility?? What happens when that young person has "skies the limit" access and patronage and then in 12 months is relegated to "F you status" like the rest of the hunters?? Rewards without understanding are DANGEROUS! Youth seasons are intended to attract more hunters. However, when the glitter of youth and privilege are gone and the expectations of previous experiences are no longer there, I wonder if youth seasons may be doing as much harm as good. Just some thoughts from an old grey beard.
 


wslayer

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My guess is it is a safety aspect when there is considerably more hunters out in the field participating in different hunting varieties.
Know what is beyond your target may not always register with youth, hell adults at times don't even take into consideration.
 

Allen

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SuppressYourself,

I think the reason it's restricted to the youth only season for those under 14 is because they (ND Legislature) didn't want really young hunters (11-13) out doing deer drives, etc as just a member of the hunting party. Rather it was intended to be all about the kid, so there's no reason for the adult to be out there armed and looking for something of their own to kill. As far as why it's so short, that I am thinking was intended to be out of conflict with other seasons. Youth pheasant opener, etc. Time gets to be in limited supply when you consider what else is all starting in Sept and you still want to try and give the fawns a chance if they become orphaned, so that kind of pushes things into a short window in Sept.
 

LBrandt

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Bring it on slow and easy, If they shoot that 30 point buck on opening day or first season they will lose interest fast. You see on tv the little 8 and 10 year olds shooting out of a blind down a Texas road covered in corn with a gun in a holder and dad all excited because that buck he is about to pay thousands of dollars for just walk in to the herd. Thats not hunting to me , thats a real life vidio game THAT SOMETHING DIES IN AND THATS IT. There is better ways to teach than that and I will stand my ground on that point. Kids need to follow the hunt first and know what taking a life is all about first and formost. Hell there are way to many adults that dont know that, all they see are horns and I never hunted long with someone like that. My Rant is over for now ,sorry about that. LB
 

1lessdog

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Anybody that's been on NDA for more than 30 seconds knows I'm all about the youngsters. However, here's my question: How much privilege do you grant before requiring personal accountability, understanding, and responsibility?? What happens when that young person has "skies the limit" access and patronage and then in 12 months is relegated to "F you status" like the rest of the hunters?? Rewards without understanding are DANGEROUS! Youth seasons are intended to attract more hunters. However, when the glitter of youth and privilege are gone and the expectations of previous experiences are no longer there, I wonder if youth seasons may be doing as much harm as good. Just some thoughts from an old grey beard.


I don't know if your lumping all youth hunters in the same category. I had 4 kids go thru the youth season. Not one felt in titled that they were going to shoot a big buck in there youth season and then after. I have since taken many young hunters out and watched them grow up. I never once felt the F you moment.

I hope one bad experience doesn't cloud your judgment on all youth hunters
 

Kurtr

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It’s runs from September to January down here . Mentor can’t have a gun and does only. Never had a problem when my kid was little.

- - - Updated - - -

Think they got rid of age deal to
 


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