Syracuse.com - Statewide youth firearms deer hunt (ages 14-15) set for this weekend

[HuntingNY-News]

Young hunters ages 14-15 can hunt deer with a firearm this Saturday, Sunday and Monday provided they're accompanied by a licensed adult mentor. Send photos from your successful hunt to [email protected].

The Youth Firearms Deer Hunt is set for this coming Columbus Day weekend. This will be the second year in a row for the special hunt.

The three-day hunt begins at sunrise Saturday and ends at sunset Monday. Resident and non-resident junior hunting license holders (ages 14-15) may take one deer with a firearm, provided they are accompanied by a licensed adult mentor. Mentors are not allowed, though, to carry a firearm or bow to pursue deer.

"The youth deer hunt is a great opportunity for the next generation of New York hunters and is an important step in preserving our hunting heritage while maintaining our ability to manage deer through hunting in the future," DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said following last year's hunt.. "We received enthusiastic feedback from parents and excited young hunters who took part of the Columbus Day weekend. These experiences demonstrate the great value of providing this unique opportunity for junior hunters."

Send photos of successful hunts to [email protected].

See a photo slideshow of young hunters who submitted photos from their hunts last year.

Among the hunt's rules:

1). The adult mentor must maintain physical control over the junior hunter at all times while hunting. This means the mentor and junior hunter must be close enough to talk without the aid of a radio and must be able to see each other.

2). Both the junior hunter and mentor must remain on the ground while hunting. The young hunter is not allowed to use a tree stand or hunt from an elevated platform.

3). Both must wear hunter orange visible from all directions: shirt, jacket or vest with at least 250 square inches of solid or patterned orange (the pattern must be at least 50 percent orange) or a hat with at least 50 percent orange.

The special hunt, occurs during the regular bowhunting season for deer, which began Oct. 1. It will take place in both the Northern and Southern zones of the state, with the exception of bowhunting only areas and Suffolk County.

Last year, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation website, a total if 1,411 deer were taken (53 percent antlered and 47 percent antlerless deer). A total of 61 of eligible junior hunters participated (7,779).

"Non-participation was primarily influenced by lack of awareness of the Youth Deer Hunt and, to a lesser degree, by time conflicts during Columbus Day weekend," DEC officials said. "The Youth Deer Hunt was a safe hunt. No safety violations or injuries were reported, and no junior hunters were cited for hunting violations."

For more, see the DEC hunting handbook or check out the DEC website.

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Junior hunters may use a Deer Management Permit (antlerless-only), Deer Management Assistance Program tag (antlerless-only), or a regular season tag. During the youth deer hunt, junior hunters may use the regular season tag for a deer of either-sex.

The youth deer hunt will occur in both the Northern Zone and Southern Zone, except in bowhunting only areas and Suffolk County.

During the youth deer hunt, mentors may not carry a firearm or bow to pursue deer.

Rules for 14-15 year old Junior Hunters and their mentors outlined below, including blaze orange requirements, also apply during the youth deer hunt.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog