Special youth hunting weekends for wild turkey, white-tailed deer and waterfowl allow youngsters to hunt and gain experience without competing against adults. These youth hunting events are scheduled one weekend before the regular hunting season and are open to residents and non-residents 15 and younger.
All youth hunters must have successfully completed a hunter education program or participated in the mentored hunt program.
Hunters must hold the required valid licenses, stamps and permits for the species they intend to pursue. An adult 18 or older must accompany the youth hunter.
An adult cannot attend more than two youth hunters at one time. Only one youth hunter can follow the mentor hunting program if the adult is attending to more than one youth hunter.
Youth hunters may hunt deer with a gun in all deer management units except state park and non-quota units. A gun deer hunting license is required if hunting with a firearm.
The bag limit is one buck per gun buck deer harvest authorization, plus additional antlerless deer per antlerless deer harvest authorization valid for the deer management unit that the youth hunter will be hunting.
Youth hunters with an archer or crossbow license may continue to hunt with a bow or crossbow during the archery and crossbow season, which runs concurrently with the youth gun deer hunt. All other hunting regulations apply.
This year’s youth deer hunt will be Oct. 10-11.
Youth hunters ages 15 and younger may hunt deer with a gun, bow or crossbow in all deer management units, except Menominee County or in state parks.
Because the archery and crossbow seasons run concurrently with the youth gun deer hunt, youth hunters who possess an archer or crossbow license may also continue to hunt deer with a bow or crossbow.
Both resident and non-resident youth hunters are eligible to participate.
Again, youths must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. The adult does not have to be a licensed hunter or a hunter education graduate to accompany one or two youths who are at least 12 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 all youth hunters 11 and younger, or youth hunters 12-15 who do not possess a hunter education certificate, and who possess a gun deer hunting license:
• Hunters must be “mentored” by an adult who is within arm’s reach at all times during the hunt.
• Qualified adult mentors must be at least 18 and have the youth’s parents’ or guardians’ permission to mentor the youth hunter.
• 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. When hunting on land the mentor owns or occupies, a mentor is exempt from the hunting license requirement if not hunting, or if only hunting rabbits, squirrel, raccoon, fox, coyote, beaver or unprotected species.
• Qualified adult mentors may only mentor one youth hunter whose age is 11 and under, or who has not completed hunter education, at any given time.
• 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.
