Take a Young Person Hunting on Youth Deer Weekend

New Hampshire’s youth deer weekend, Saturday and Sunday, October 27-28, 2018, is the perfect time to take a young person hunting. This special weekend gives young people age 15 and younger the opportunity to go deer hunting with an adult mentor, without the pressure of competing with thousands of adult hunters.

Accompanying adults must be licensed hunters and are not allowed to carry a firearm; the idea is to concentrate your time and attention on coaching your young companion.

Prospects for this year’s youth season are good, according to Dan Bergeron, Deer Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. New Hampshire’s deer population is healthy and will provide excellent opportunities. “Last year’s total harvest was the 5th highest on record and deer numbers should still be high following the average winter and productive mast crops during 2017.” In 2017, young hunters took 270 deer during the special youth weekend.

“The weekend presents a great opportunity to introduce your son or daughter, grandchild, or even a young friend to the excitement and rewards of deer hunting, all under the careful guidance of an experienced adult,” said Bergeron. “You can help teach them about the sights and sounds of the forest, how to interpret wildlife sign, and how to use this knowledge to track and harvest a white-tailed deer.”

“We hope hunters will spend the weekend teaching the state’s youth what hunting is all about,” said Bergeron. “Teaching a young person how to hunt and seeing their excitement can help even the most avid hunter remember why they love the sport so much. This shared experience can build bonds that last a lifetime.”

Bergeron notes that hunting can also help young people learn about the environment, conservation, tradition, and ethics, and it can build a deep and abiding appreciation for the wildlife and wild places that many of our citizens and visitors cherish.

New Hampshire has offered a special youth deer hunt since 1999. Nonresident youth may participate in New Hampshire’s youth deer weekend only if their state of residence allows New Hampshire youth to participate in its youth deer hunt.

For more about New Hampshire’s youth hunting weekends, visit www.huntnh.com/hunting/youth.html. To learn more about deer hunting in New Hampshire, visit www.huntnh.com/hunting/deer.html.

https://nhfishgame.com/2018/10/11/youth-hunting-weekend-is-october-27-and-28/