Youth Big Game Hunt Coming Columbus Day Weekend

[Steve D]

New York's annual Youth Big Game Hunt will occur on Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 9-11, 2021. New this year, 12- and 13-year-old hunters may join 14- and 15-year-olds participating in upstate counties that have passed a local law for these junior hunters to hunt deer with firearms (all counties north of Westchester except Erie and Rockland county). During this special opportunity, licensed 12-15-year-olds may use a firearm to hunt big game while accompanied by an experienced, licensed adult hunter. All eligible junior hunters may take one deer (either sex) and 14- and 15-year-olds may also take one bear. During the youth hunt, antlerless deer taken with a firearm may be tagged with a regular season tag, DMP, or Deer Management Assistance Program tags. Antlered deer may only be tagged with the regular season tag. Though junior hunters may have multiple deer tags, they may only take one deer with a firearm during the Youth Big Game Hunt.

This Youth Big Game Hunt takes place throughout the state, except in Suffolk and Westchester counties and bowhunting-only areas. Additional rules that apply to junior hunters and their adult mentors can be found in the Hunting & Trapping Guide (PDF) or through the Junior Hunter Mentoring Program.

 

Special Youth Hunting Opportunities and Military/Veteran Waterfowl Days

Youth hunts for pheasants and waterfowl took place last weekend in much of eastern NY, and are still upcoming in western NY and on Long Island. Military and Veteran Waterfowl Hunting Days are also upcoming in the Southeast, Western, and Long Island zones.

Starting in early October, New York offers vast waterfowl (ducks, geese, and brant) hunting opportunities as hunters may harvest more than 30 species of waterfowl. New York has five waterfowl zones and nine Canada goose zones that help to maximize hunting opportunity across diverse habitats. Most waterfowl zones also have special hunting days for youth and members of the military (both active duty and veterans) that often begin prior to the regular hunting season, giving these hunters the opportunity to hunt with less competition and hunting pressure.

Junior hunters must be accompanied by a licensed adult hunter, and both the junior hunter and adult must be registered with the Harvest Information Program (HIP). Adult hunters must also have a federal migratory bird stamp and the adult hunter supervising a youth may not possess a firearm, bow, or crossbow afield. Veterans wishing to participate in the special military hunting days must carry identification that verifies their active duty or veteran status while hunting.

[Red]

The youth can hunt in Erie could day weekend. Erie county votes on it the second Thursday in September and it passed.

[Zag]

Only letting them take one deer baffles me. 

[Hock3y24]

All ready, taking my nephew out. At least in NY they can shot any deer, PA my son can only shoot a doe in youth season.

[mowin]

This is the first time in about 7-8 yrs, that I have no youths to take out.  

Good luck to all those heading out next weekend. 

[E J]

I will be taking my 13 yr old son out for his first time being allowed to shoot a deer. He told me he wants to shoot a 6 pointer or bigger. I told him he can shoot anything he wants if decides any different when we actually see a deer. We'll see how it goes. I just ran out to my blind and put out 2 new fold out chairs and got soaked. 

[G-Man]

This will be 1st year I haven't had a youth for youth hunt.. niece is to young and boys are to old.. hoping a friend or two with kids come out and get one.

[G-Man]

13 hours ago, Zag said:

Only letting them take one deer baffles me. 

Because gun is allowed and don't want to anger the bowhunters..

[NYBowhunter]

I'll be out there with my 13 yr. old son, says he wants to hold out for a buck, we will see. 

[johnnyftalbott]

Good news.

[Red]

Good luck to everyone taking a youth out this weekend.

A huge thank you to Greg/gman for allowing me to continue to hunt his property and now bring my 12 year old son Hunter out to hunt.

 

[Moho81]

Good luck to all the youth this weekend!

[Zag]

10 minutes ago, Red said:

Good luck to everyone taking a youth out this weekend.

A huge thank you to Greg/gman for allowing me to continue to hunt his property and now bring my 12 year old son Hunter out to hunt.

 

LFG red!! Gl my friend!!

[Red]

45 minutes ago, Zag said:

LFG red!! Gl my friend!!

You know it. I hope to see the forum light up tomorrow with some success from the youth hunters.

LFG.  Good luck.

[G-Man]

Was a good day for youth here.. red brought his son down  after his plans of a Erie County hunt were ruined   and my friend Pam her son Evan .. was slow morning and Reds son had to get home.for hockey.. Pam and her son Dylan returned to hunt in evening going to same spot the kicked a nice buck out in the am walking in. 

Deer started entering the soybean field  at 4pm and at 550 this guy stepped out across field.  After calming nerves he made a good shot 150 yards  hitting liver . I was attending 80 b day party for my.mother so they Sen me a photo and it looked like liver to me ,I requested they wait a couple hours as they were unfamiliar with property.  A short track and this guy was laying , I m not sure who was more excited mother or son!   A big congrats to Dylan Wenke! His 1st deer at 12 years old  using his mom's .270 rifleDylan and his brother Evan who got his 1st deer last year here as weĺl at 13  with bow

Edited October 10, 2021 by G-Man

[UpStateRedNeck]

9 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Was a good day for youth here.. red brought his son down  after his plans of a Erie County hunt were ruined   and my friend Pam her son Evan .. was slow morning and Reds son had to get home.for hockey.. Pam and her son Dylan returned to hunt in evening going to same spot the kicked a nice buck out in the am walking in. 

Deer started entering the soybean field  at 4pm and at 550 this guy stepped out across field.  After calming nerves he made a good shot 150 yards  hitting liver . I was attending 80 b day party for my.mother so they Sen me a photo and it looked like liver to me ,I requested they wait a couple hours as they were unfamiliar with property.  A short track and this guy was laying , I m not sure who was more excited mother or son!   A big congrats to Dylan Wenke! His 1st deer at 12 years old  using his mom's .270 rifleDylan and his brother Evan who got his 1st deer last year here as weĺl at 13  with bow

What you do is extremely important, generous and awesome @G-Man!  Almost single handedly creating a new generation of hunters in your area, and dispelling the "my land my bucks" crap alot of people get into.  You're the man!

[E J]

My son decided he wasn't ready to get out yet. I'm a little disappointed but I'm not going to force him into it. Hopefully he'll change his mind and get out during regular season.

[suburbanfarmer]

33 minutes ago, UpStateRedNeck said:

What you do is extremely important, generous and awesome @G-Man!  Almost single handedly creating a new generation of hunters in your area, and dispelling the "my land my bucks" crap alot of people get into.  You're the man!

100% agree, Awesome all the way around.

[mlammerhirt]

@Gman what a great story and aweosme buck for that young man! Well done all around!

Sent from my SM-A716V using Tapatalk

[boo711]

3 hours ago, G-Man said:

Was a good day for youth here.. red brought his son down  after his plans of a Erie County hunt were ruined   and my friend Pam her son Evan .. was slow morning and Reds son had to get home.for hockey.. Pam and her son Dylan returned to hunt in evening going to same spot the kicked a nice buck out in the am walking in. 

Deer started entering the soybean field  at 4pm and at 550 this guy stepped out across field.  After calming nerves he made a good shot 150 yards  hitting liver . I was attending 80 b day party for my.mother so they Sen me a photo and it looked like liver to me ,I requested they wait a couple hours as they were unfamiliar with property.  A short track and this guy was laying , I m not sure who was more excited mother or son!   A big congrats to Dylan Wenke! His 1st deer at 12 years old  using his mom's .270 rifleDylan and his brother Evan who got his 1st deer last year here as weĺl at 13  with bow

Awesome.  Congratulations to him!!  Beautiful deer!!!!

[billey100]

My son's first year hunting, so glad they lowered the gun age to 12 just at the right time for us.

We hunted in the morning, setup a pop up blind on a hedgerow where we thought would give us the best safe shooting lanes, avoiding neighboring properties for back stop reasons.  Saw a buck, to far and while on our property the bullet would have  travelled across another property if he missed.

We learned from that morning and realized the only way from the ground we could get a shot would be to put the pop up literally in the middle of the field of beans.  Just too many knowls even in flat property to see anything from one side of the field to the other.

Went back in the afternoon, setup the blind and grabbed about 30 corn stalks from a friend.  Around 6 a doe and fawn came out into the field to our south about 150 yards away.  Not allowed to shoot doe here per the landowner so we just watched, had no shot as it was towards the road anyway.  They worked right towards us slowly, they got to about 50 yards at sunset.  Any closer and they are going to blow, would have ruined the entire last half hour more than likely.  As we were both watching them get too close my son said they look like they are looking at something off to their left.  We both looked out the from of the blind and there was a deer.  Saw body but his head was in the brush munching on something.  I said I think it's another doe and just then it wiped it's head around and I saw great mass, same deer as the morning.  He got excited and said what do I do? I said better take the gun off of safe as a good first step lol.  He took his time, deer had no idea we were there.  He shot and it went straight down immediately, thought he had tagged him but then I saw that he tried to get back up and I knew right away he spined him.  He tried to get up but could not, we scrambled and he dispatched with a second shot in the perfect spot once we got closer.

Super proud of his abilities, 100 yard shot with a bipod, he tried to peak a few seconds early and shot high but he learned something.