Youth Deer Season

db-2

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Well i did not get the job done after 3 days for my granddaughter.
A lot of deer but all came up after 8 or we were at the wrong place.

So i gave here some skulls of bucks to restore with material to restore to take home and she said looking forward to next year.

She will be 14 next year and as i understand she will have a buck and can hunt both seasons. Can she again get another buck youth on her 15 birthday the following year? db-2
 


CatDaddy

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Well i did not get the job done after 3 days for my granddaughter.
A lot of deer but all came up after 8 or we were at the wrong place.

So i gave here some skulls of bucks to restore with material to restore to take home and she said looking forward to next year.

She will be 14 next year and as i understand she will have a buck and can hunt both seasons. Can she again get another buck youth on her 15 birthday the following year? db-2

That's too bad DB....was hoping you'd get one with her. Hope you guys had a good experience regardless!

As far as I understand you only get the buck tag at 14 OR 15, not both. But I could be wrong.....
 

Allen

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Correct, the Any Deer tag is available once in a lifetime, and it's not good for antlered mule deer in the 4(a,b,c,d,e,f) and 3B1 or 3B2(?) units.

Daught connected with a dandy mule deer last night, I'll see what I can do about getting up a pic of it.
 

NG3067

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Correct, the Any Deer tag is available once in a lifetime, and it's not good for antlered mule deer in the 4(a,b,c,d,e,f) and 3B1 or 3B2(?) units.

I believe there usually is a separate lottery for youth to hunt antlered Mule deer in the units you mention above, not sure all the details of it but it is has been available in the past. Check the proclamation or ndgf website.
 

SupressYourself

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Junior got his very first on Saturday night. Our one and only time out due to scheduling conflicts with elk hunting. -- Seriously, why is this season so short and in September???

Anyway, thanks to another gracious landowner, we got set up in a blind about 3pm, which was a bit early, but gave us an opportunity to talk about patience and what hunting is really like, and how real life is not "on demand" as our youth seem to be accustomed to. He was pretty bored, but when the deer came out, he was completely jacked. -- Later he said it seemed like we were only in the blind for like 10 minutes :) .

Two does walked out about 30 minutes before sunset, and he nailed one at 170 yards. 85 Barnes TSX blew through the heart and exited the through the offside shoulder. It ran about 50 yards into the tall grass, which was nice because I was able to show him how to follow a blood trail. He was a bit unsure about the gutting, but after some coaching, got right in there.
Here's the very excited kid and very proud dad.
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remm

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Correct, the Any Deer tag is available once in a lifetime, and it's not good for antlered mule deer in the 4(a,b,c,d,e,f) and 3B1 or 3B2(?) units.

I believe there usually is a separate lottery for youth to hunt antlered Mule deer in the units you mention above, not sure all the details of it but it is has been available in the past. Check the proclamation or ndgf website.

If you apply for the youth muley in one of the lottery units and are unsuccessful, then you automatically will get the statewide whitetail tag (meaning you can't try to get drawn for the muley at both 14 and 15). If you are successful with the muley lotto, then obviously you can hunt muley buck in that unit. You can apply for it at either 14 or 15, not both.
 

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Didn't think I was going to be doing any guiding for Youth this year but got a call on Wednesday and asked if I would be willing to take a friends boy out Saturday as this was the only day he would be able to hunt due to school and work commitments. I was worried how tough it would be with the heat and EHD die off in the area. One of my camera I was getting 1200-1600 pictures a week in August and last week i had 60 for a week. Met about an hour before sunrise and talked thru a few things and headed out about shooting time. Gimped my way along for about a 1 1/2 mile spot and stalk to get to a place we were going to sit and watch valley hillside. He was willing to take any deer that was looking for a date in the pickup box. We had 2 different groups of whitetail does and fawn we didn't push cut across the valley hoofing pretty good, to far for shots. Got to the spot to sit and watch and about 20 minutes later he says there's a deer on top. I start glassing and see a group of 5 bachelor mule deer bucks. They start working there way down and disappear behind a hill for about 10 minutes and finally pick them up working down and east of us. He passed a shot at about 250 on the hillside as they were in the shadows and couldn't get on the one in the open fast enough. SO they disappear again and about another10 minutes we got lucky and they filed out onto the valley floor about 80 yards out, he choose the one he wanted of the 2 decent ones and one shot took off the top of the heart. He went about 20 yards and over he went. 3 hours in and the hunt was complete. Would like to say good guiding but probably more luck than guiding. IMG_4949.jpgWent out just hoping for a deer, doe or buck and ended with a decent mule deer buck
 

dukgnfsn

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How many guarantee tags do youth in nd Get ? 4 doe and then the any ?

from what I know Whitetail doe tags for 11-13 can get each year, actual any youth tag only once at 14 or 15, not both. As for Antlered mule deer I would guess the #'s very each year by the yearly deer counts out there. From G&F site below

NOTE: Online lottery applications should be available in early May.
To apply for a youth deer tag, log into the online system. On the “My Account” page click on the “Apply” button under the “Lottery/Gratis” section and then enter the required personal information.

  1. Ages 11 (by the end of the calendar year), 12 and 13 – statewide antlerless white-tailed deer only. The license application deadline is midnight September 1 (no lottery).
  2. Ages 14 (by the end of the calendar year) and 15 – statewide any deer is legal, except antlered mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F. The license application deadline is midnight September 1 (no lottery). NOTE: This license is a once-per-lifetime license. If your child takes advantage of this license when they are 14, they cannot apply for it again at 15. They would need to apply in the regular deer lottery.
  3. Ages 14 (by the end of the calendar year) and 15 – antlered mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F. This license is allocated by lottery. The lottery deadline is June 2, 2021. Those possessing restricted antlered mule deer licenses may hunt only in their designated unit the entire season. NOTE: If you apply for one of these restricted licenses and are unsuccessful, you will automatically be issued a statewide youth deer license (see #2 directly above). In addition, this license is a once-per-lifetime license. If your child takes advantage of this license when they are 14, they cannot apply for it again at 15. They would need to apply in the regular deer lottery.
Notes:

  • Orange clothing required for youth hunters and mentors.
  • 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.
Eligibility Requirements



 

CatDaddy

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Well, I'll bring the story full circle tonight. Jonah got his doe like I said....here's our story. Couldn't have asked for a better adventure with my boys. We learned so much - about each other and about deer!

My 11 year old and I headed out Friday to hunt the mini cold front that moved through. Wind changed for a day from S-SW to W-NW. Temp dropped 10 degrees and I figured the deer would be moving more than what we'd seen. I pulled him from school at noon to make it 7 out of 8 days hunting....the only day we didn't get after it was Tuesday while we were getting Noah's buck taken care of.

I have to preface this story with the fact that my 11 year old is the least patient of our family - not necessarily surprising, but impressive when you consider he's the one who INSISTED we go sit early on Friday. What a kid!

We parked the truck and trudged through the plowed field to get to the corn we were about to walk through. We tucked into the noisy stalks and crept towards the stand. As we exited the field we had a nice mature doe get up and trot away from us to the tree line. She never looked back and her tail stayed low so we figured we were ok. We ditched our stuff and got down for a shot, but to no avail....keep that part in mind as we get to the end of the story. We hurried to the stand and got settled.

About an hour later we saw a doe get up from the cattails about 120 yards from us. She stood broadside for about 45 seconds and I expected to hear the .243 ring out but it never did. She started moving and disappeared into the tree row....following her out was another nice buck. Exactly the same spot where my other son's buck was shot - almost the same view through the spotting scope I saw on Monday!

I asked Jonah why he didn't squeeze the trigger and he told me he was waiting for me to tell him it was ok. I realized I'd over-coached him, afraid he'd take a shot he didn't understand or wasn't practiced for. I told him that the next deer that came out I'd confirm doe or buck and let him take over from there. We'd been over "quartering to", "quartering away", distance, etc. and I needed to just trust him. Boy did that come into play about an hour later.

We saw more movement - a few does (actually probably the same one) but no good shots. A nice buck came out after the doe - not something he could shoot but cool anyway. At 6 pm a doe came out of the corn at 350 yards straight at us. I confirmed for Jonah that it was in fact a nice doe that he could shoot - the rest was up to him. We watched her disappear through a cattail draw and out the other side. She turned broadside and stopped at 275. I heard the .243 ring out and saw the white of her belly as she toppled right where she stood!

We waited about a half hour to ensure she was down. We chatted about the shot and eventually made our way to find her. Once we got to her we realized he had hit her high shoulder - the bullet entered top of the shoulder and exited her spine. I ended up finishing her with my knife and we decided to walk back to the truck together to give her some time. He couldn't have picked a better deer. She was a 3.5 year old dry doe in gorgeous shape!

Now for the unexpected adventure....My keys weren't in my pocket. We emptied backpacks and retraced our steps. Sunlight was disappearing and my phone was dying. I called my wife (who had just sat down to watch Netflix) and asked her to bring the spare keys from Casselton to Valley City. She didn't hesitate.

Jonah's deer went down 15 FEET from where Noah's buck was field dressed. Used the same path through the cattails to drag her to the pickup. I called KDM and told him my phone was going to die and what the situation was. His wife graciously came out with her pickup and we loaded the deer into the back. As we drove gravel back towards their yard we saw that my wife was at my truck. YES!

My wife gave me the spare set and the fob didn't work to unlock the truck - I used the key instead. That set off the alarm so I pushed lock/unlock a few times to see if I could get it to stop, to no avail. I then started the truck and the alarm quit. Again, YES! I shut the door and was going to tell my wife she could head home when I heard "Hey Dad, can you unlock the truck for me?"!!!!! I had just managed to lock the only spare set in my truck. All I could think was "this is Jonah's moment, don't ruin it by freaking out". Believe me, I was about to explode inside but I held it together outwardly. What's a guy to do?

We field dressed the doe in KDM's from yard. True to form he got my 11 year old's hands dirty and taught him how to do it. I was a little embarrassed that he didn't even really know how to handle the knife, but Kirk's patience shined through and he taught my son a TON about the final stage of hunting deer. "Thank you" doesn't begin to describe the gratitude.

Meanwhile, my wife called AAA and went to sit by the truck to wait for the tow truck. 30 minutes passed, then an hour, then an hour and a half. While we sat enjoying a beverage and donut with Kirk and his family he received a "Restricted" call on his phone. What do you know - my wife was called in for "suspicious vehicle" and she had two deputies at her side confirming why she was there. After KDM gave the ok, she was good to go and the tow truck showed up minutes later. She is such a champ. It's moment like this that affirm I married an absolute gem!

We got the doe hung up when we got home and hugged/high-fived on an awesome season. Jonah said "You know, I'm not really too patient but hunting sure taught me a few things". I couldn't be prouder! I also gave him a little crap about waiting 7 days to take a shot to which he replied "Yeah, well 7 days without a CRAPPY shot!". He gets it. So proud - he's absolutely right. Take a good shot or don't shoot at all.

I took Noah's buck to LaMoure to get processed. We had more hunting to do and to be honest, it was intimidating. However I decided to butcher the doe myself. It turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! Knowing where each cut of meat came from, how it was taken, etc. is priceless. So glad I did it!

Now for the last part of the adventure - the keys. They were truly gone. To make it worse, I had put a ring my Dad wore on the key ring. He passed away three years ago and I really wanted those keys back!

The doe was shot Friday evening. I announce football for 6th graders in Casselton Saturday mornings so had to do that before I could go "hunting". Once I was done I packed the doe with ice and headed back to VC. Spent 2 hours retracing my steps - through the plowed field, through the corn, the stand, the trail back to the kill site. Nothing. I had a metal detector, used OnX "tracking" so I could grid, and watched video of my son and I's walk to get the deer so I was sure I was on the right trail. Slow, slow, slow walk....nothing.

I was certain it was back in the plowed field - had to be where my boy and I exchanged items. As I entered the corn it dawned on me that I ditched gear when we saw the first doe as we walked into the area originally. I focused on the edge between the corn and grass and by God if I didn't see a glimmer and hear the metal detector ring out. I had my keys!!!!

I'll end this long post by saying this: We are hooked. I thought we couldn't top the buck that my son shot and realized as we continued our season that it isn't about that. Each experience was unique, epic, unforgettable. Deer hunting isn't just about the animal - it's the full experience. We've put in weeks of research, work, and sit to make it happen. We learned about each other, nature, deer, and life. I wouldn't trade any of it - One of the top experiences of my 42 year life so far.

HUGE shout out to Kirk (KDM) for just being him. It's clear that he has a passion for helping young hunters understand what it means to truly be a hunter. It's about the full circle - patience, observation, harvest, and respect. Respect for the animal, nature, and landowners. He provided an experience I couldn't have done alone as a father. He was the coach, teacher, mentor that my kids needed - they would have bucked me a bit but took what he said as law and became a little more of a man along the way. My appreciation to Kirk can never be fully expressed.

As if this epic adventure wasn't enough, he's almost demanding Noah come back for a bow buck. I'm floored, can't imagine topping what's already been shared with us. Noah's excited - needs a bit of a rest - but is ready to have a whole different experience!

Thanks for reading if you made it this far. Here are some pics of the adventure!

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8andcounting

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I’m all for youth hunting but what if we moved the age back ? Say , start them at 14 and give them 5 years of guaranteed tags (14-18years old). I see no reason a 10-12 year old needs to be shooting deer with a gun most (not all) aren’t ready . Just a thought
 

CatDaddy

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I’m all for youth hunting but what if we moved the age back ? Say , start them at 14 and give them 5 years of guaranteed tags (14-18years old). I see no reason a 10-12 year old needs to be shooting deer with a gun most (not all) aren’t ready . Just a thought

I'd argue that those who are ready would be missing out on a piece of growing up. I literally had a conversation about making good decisions with my 11 YO tonight that centered around his choices while deer hunting. It rang true.

If they aren't ready don't have them hunt. My humble opinion only.
 

Allen

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I’m all for youth hunting but what if we moved the age back ? Say , start them at 14 and give them 5 years of guaranteed tags (14-18years old). I see no reason a 10-12 year old needs to be shooting deer with a gun most (not all) aren’t ready . Just a thought


This is a parental decision. If I didn't think my kids were capable of safely and ethically taking a deer with the weapon in their hand they would not be in the field with me. What supports your reasoning that someone else's 10-12 yr old should not be allowed to shoot a firearm capable of taking a deer?


This has largely been thought of an infringement on parental rights to decide when a child is appropriately introduced to hunting and shooting.
 

Retired Educator

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I'm not so fussy on the start age but I definitely like the idea of some guaranteed tags up to about the age of 18. In a lot of units they get started with a couple tags and then have to wait sometimes 5-7 years for another tag. Doesn't do much for keeping them interested IMO.

I know there are units that are more available which isn't such a big deal for adults but not so easy for kids to travel away from home. Let's do what we can to keep them interested. Me, for example, started hunting at the age of 14. Hunted for many years in the badlands with family and always drew a tag. Then switched to whitetails in the NC part of the state and still got a tag every year. That was tue from the age of 14 to 49. Now 71 and have had a tag maybe 6 or 7 of these past years. Not blaming anyone, I like to hunt mule deer so I'm always applying for a hard to get tag.

I've shot enough deer so I can survive with my limited tags but really hate to see young people have to wait.
 


Allen

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p.s. My kids are now done with this tag, as of last Sunday evening. So I guess I may no longer have a large dog in this fight if it's them vs us older bastards in tag allocation in the future. I'm finding I have a lot of trophies laying around. And it's more fun making trophies for someone else.
 

SupressYourself

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I’m all for youth hunting but what if we moved the age back ? Say , start them at 14 and give them 5 years of guaranteed tags (14-18years old). I see no reason a 10-12 year old needs to be shooting deer with a gun most (not all) aren’t ready . Just a thought
As others have said, you as a parent need to make that call, and then be right by their side to mentor them through the entire process.
My 10 yo (11 in Dec) has had a lot of training. He's shot so many prairie dogs and steel plates in all different shooting positions that I had no doubts.
 

KDM

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Congratulations again to the young man. He earned it!! My favorite pic is the one of him zonked out. I love that one!! Oh, and I'm NOT demanding you bring your oldest out to hunt. I just know he will have a better than average chance of getting his first bow buck. That buck you have in the pick is a new buck. My biggest were 8 pointers so far and that one looks like a big 10. Looks to be 4 1/2 years old too. Maybe on second thought.....your son might have a better chance somewhere else. (Grin) :;:
 

Rowdie

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In SD when I grew up, we couldn't get a hunting license until 12. So no one ever should ever be able to hunt before age 12 since I couldn't. :mad:
 


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