Hunters reminded of Wisconsin’s youth deer hunt this weekend

The weekend of Oct. 9-10 is the annual youth deer hunt in Wisconsin.

This special season is designed to give young hunters the opportunity to hunt deer and gain valuable experience before the rush of gun deer season.

Hunters 15 years old and under are eligible to participate in the youth gun deer hunt with a mentor. Youth hunters do not need to complete hunter education to participate in the hunt. They are able to use a gun, bow or crossbow in all deer management units except Menominee County or in state parks. A gun deer hunting license is required.

For youth hunters 12-15 years of age who possess a hunter education certificate and a gun deer hunting license:

_ Hunters must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age. The adult does not have to be a licensed hunter or hunter education graduate to accompany one or two youth who are at least 12 years old and have completed a hunter education course.

_ Adults accompanying youth hunters may not hunt deer with a firearm during the youth hunt but may possess a bow, crossbow or gun to hunt for a game species that is open at that time, including deer with a bow or crossbow only.

_ An adult may not accompany more than two youth hunters during the youth gun deer hunt at any given time.

For youth hunters 11 and under or those 12-15 who have not completed a hunter safety course:

_ Mentors must be within arm’s reach of young hunters at all times during the hunt and can only mentor one hunter at a time.

_ Mentors must possess a valid Wisconsin hunting license for the current hunting season. The type of hunting license does not matter, unless the mentor will be hunting other game.

_ Adults accompanying youth hunters may not hunt deer with a firearm during the youth hunt, but may possess a bow, crossbow or gun to hunt for a game species that is open for them to hunt at that time, including deer with a bow or crossbow only.

Both resident and non-resident youth hunters are eligible to participate. The bag limit is one buck with a gun buck deer harvest authorization plus additional antlerless deer per antlerless deer harvest authorization(s) valid for the zone, deer management unit and land type (public access or private) on which the youth is hunting. Additional antlerless deer may be taken with junior antlerless deer harvest authorizations, which are valid statewide on the land type specified on the harvest authorization.

Mentored youth licenses and all other authorizations are available under the GoWild section of the DNR website, dnr.wisconsin.gov.

All Wisconsin hunters are reminded that highly visible clothing requirements are in effect this weekend for all hunters except waterfowl hunters.