2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

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2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby CZscout on Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:54 pm

The license is free for the young kiddos, which is great - gets them out, keeping the tradition going.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/youth.html

Who's going with their kids?
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby Holland&Holland on Wed Oct 02, 2019 10:04 pm

My kids are too old and the grandkids are too young. Wish we had this when my kids were young.
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby CZscout on Thu Oct 03, 2019 4:11 pm

My son just got his firearms safety certificate is is pumped about this early season. We also do the "normal" season in Duluth which is a blast because we camp + hunt.

Some folks don't like this early youth season, why would that be?
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby rtk on Thu Oct 03, 2019 4:41 pm

The early seasons for the youth are wonderful. Do they hurt the regular season, maybe....but it’s worth the trade off in this day and age.
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby smurfman on Fri Oct 04, 2019 5:55 am

The negative is the added pressure put on bucks at the beginning of the rut phase. It is a point of contention between gun and bow Hunter's but not a significant one due to the limitations (real and perceived) of archery equipment.

The addition of 4 days of firearms hunting in this period will cause angst as some will see it similar to the youth waterfowl season. One group will claim the early pressure will push those deer that are not shot out of public areas or increase wariness or cause the deer to become nocturnal. There are others that will see this as a potential conflict between grouse/pheasant Hunter's and deer Hunter's much like the regular firearms season.

I am leery of this "extra" season for the latter reason. It is in the middle of the prime time for grouse and woodcock which I avidly pursue. It is also the second weekend of the pheasant season which is not much of a factor for me but it is for others. It has been long resolved that bird hunting is put on hiatus during the firearms deer season but this additional firearms hunting during a popular bird hunting time may not be worked out as easily. I know I am not too enamoured with it.
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby crbutler on Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:06 am

What I suspect is the case is that these “youth seasons” really don’t make a difference with recruitment of hunters.

I suppose one could find a few examples of youth that otherwise would never have hunted take it up due to the exposure, but it’s been my experience that the vast majority of the kids out there on these days are also in hunting families and are out there on opening day as well.

For most, hunting is a shared family experience and how is taking them out without the rest a positive?

Really, it’s about giving the kids a better experience by reducing competition for space.

Folks talk about reduced participation... you can’t tell it by me where I am at. The spots are crowded to the point of inducing bad behavior. Your best hope is private access, and that is either expensive or family only in most cases.

I’ve been hunting in MN for over 40 years, pretty much in the same location. The resource is being over utilized by density, yet the DNR still insists on building numbers. In my experience, the biggest change is the number of days afield is different, with a dramatic reduction in “casual hunters” meaning the old group of go out opening day/weekend only folks is gone.

I don’t have an answer, as without hunters the wilderness goes away, but the current policy isn’t going to increase participation.
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby Holland&Holland on Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:36 pm

crbutler wrote:What I suspect is the case is that these “youth seasons” really don’t make a difference with recruitment of hunters.

I suppose one could find a few examples of youth that otherwise would never have hunted take it up due to the exposure, but it’s been my experience that the vast majority of the kids out there on these days are also in hunting families and are out there on opening day as well.

For most, hunting is a shared family experience and how is taking them out without the rest a positive?

Really, it’s about giving the kids a better experience by reducing competition for space.

Folks talk about reduced participation... you can’t tell it by me where I am at. The spots are crowded to the point of inducing bad behavior. Your best hope is private access, and that is either expensive or family only in most cases.

I’ve been hunting in MN for over 40 years, pretty much in the same location. The resource is being over utilized by density, yet the DNR still insists on building numbers. In my experience, the biggest change is the number of days afield is different, with a dramatic reduction in “casual hunters” meaning the old group of go out opening day/weekend only folks is gone.

I don’t have an answer, as without hunters the wilderness goes away, but the current policy isn’t going to increase participation.



Sorry but your statements are a bit contradictory. If the days of the opening weekend only hunters are over then how is participation not down?
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby crbutler on Sat Oct 05, 2019 8:43 pm

There may be fewer folks hunting, but those that do are out every week.

The DNR has some results from the duck hunting license survey. The number of days afield on average was quite high, I was shocked by it. If the average guy who buys a license is spending 10 days afield, what does that tell you?

I can remember the days when I first started. There were a lot more folks out there on opening day. Less than half that the next day. Maybe a twentieth that on the next week. Once pheasant season opened, if there were 2-3 boats out on swan lake it was because the northern flight had come down and was loitering.

I remember seeing 20-30 guys driving a field for deer. Now everyone is putting up stands, and the same area is crowded with 4-5 guys. (I’m not claiming that the diving deer was better, but that there were a pile of folks out back then...) success is better with deer now than in my youth- 4-5 deer out of a day’s drives was doing well)

In essence we have more man/days of hunting now than before.
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2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby PHATSPEED7x on Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:48 am

I've seen more than a few "negative" post in the Facebook online groups about how this weekend early hunt isn't fair to the normal season.

I would of argued against these post but I'm in Facebook jail til Nov 8.

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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby Ghost on Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:16 am

crbutler wrote:There may be fewer folks hunting, but those that do are out every week.

The DNR has some results from the duck hunting license survey. The number of days afield on average was quite high, I was shocked by it. If the average guy who buys a license is spending 10 days afield, what does that tell you?

I can remember the days when I first started. There were a lot more folks out there on opening day. Less than half that the next day. Maybe a twentieth that on the next week. Once pheasant season opened, if there were 2-3 boats out on swan lake it was because the northern flight had come down and was loitering.

I remember seeing 20-30 guys driving a field for deer. Now everyone is putting up stands, and the same area is crowded with 4-5 guys. (I’m not claiming that the diving deer was better, but that there were a pile of folks out back then...) success is better with deer now than in my youth- 4-5 deer out of a day’s drives was doing well)

In essence we have more man/days of hunting now than before.

1st MN deer I shot was downed 8 minutes into legal hours on opening day. Don’t hunt anymore since I’ve got no place and no time.
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby crbutler on Thu Oct 17, 2019 12:28 pm

Kind of my point.

Few folks have access other than public land.

I agree with the not fair to the folks who hunt the regular season crowd.

Look at it this way- which is personal experience.

You get a 14 y/o kid who has not hunted.

Take him out there to a good spot on youth waterfowl day. He shoots half a case of shells, essentially shooting all day and gets a couple birds.

He’s ecstatic.

He begs to come along opening day, and gets invited. He’s hyper about hunting. Opening day comes and he’s having fun in the first couple hours. The next 2 hours are boring and he misses opportunities by not watching. He wants to go in before noon.

The following day he has fun the first hour.

He goes out maybe 1-2 times after that and doesn’t see much, but gets excited when others bring birds back.

The next year he is gung ho for youth day.

On opening weekend he starts asking why we aren’t shooting where the birds are like on youth day (on the same general spot) but still has enthusiasm to go at other times.

This repeats until he’s 16, and can’t do youth day. Goes out on opener with his folks, but other items interfere with hunting otherwise (sports and girlfriend)

Comes back at college break, and when offered a chance clearly states he’d love to come, but only if there are birds around.

A few years later, comes on a hunt in Canada with the group, and enjoys himself.

Asked why he doesn’t hunt, states that if it’s good, he enjoys it, but getting up early just to watch the sun come up is not his idea of fun... and now that his grandfather is gone, he isn’t interested in hunting locally. But, if we invite him to the good hunts, he’s happy to come.

That’s the last time I saw him.

Clearly, he enjoys good hunting, but he doesn’t have the drive for it to do that when it’s not like the good old days. States that hunting with his dad is boring, and too much like work.

He’s brought 2 MN licenses. Back when he was going with grandpa. He says he will be back when his kids are old enough to go on youth day.
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby striped1 on Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:01 pm

I will go on record as being against all of these "youth" seasons. This isn't about hunter recruitment. This is an additional season so that dad can take the kids now and leave them at home to go to deer camp on opening day will all of his buddies. If you want a special season, great, but then exclude them from the regular season. Or better yet, take away the youth seasons and just take them hunting during the regular season. At least limit it to 10-14 years old. 17? Fricking 17 year olds are driving around in $20,000 trucks with decoy trailers for duck hunting and talking on $1,000 cell phones but they need a special 4 day season and a reduced price license? No.
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby Holland&Holland on Fri Oct 18, 2019 3:52 pm

crbutler wrote:Kind of my point.

Few folks have access other than public land.

I agree with the not fair to the folks who hunt the regular season crowd.

Look at it this way- which is personal experience.

You get a 14 y/o kid who has not hunted.

Take him out there to a good spot on youth waterfowl day. He shoots half a case of shells, essentially shooting all day and gets a couple birds.

He’s ecstatic.

He begs to come along opening day, and gets invited. He’s hyper about hunting. Opening day comes and he’s having fun in the first couple hours. The next 2 hours are boring and he misses opportunities by not watching. He wants to go in before noon.

The following day he has fun the first hour.

He goes out maybe 1-2 times after that and doesn’t see much, but gets excited when others bring birds back.

The next year he is gung ho for youth day.

On opening weekend he starts asking why we aren’t shooting where the birds are like on youth day (on the same general spot) but still has enthusiasm to go at other times.

This repeats until he’s 16, and can’t do youth day. Goes out on opener with his folks, but other items interfere with hunting otherwise (sports and girlfriend)

Comes back at college break, and when offered a chance clearly states he’d love to come, but only if there are birds around.

A few years later, comes on a hunt in Canada with the group, and enjoys himself.

Asked why he doesn’t hunt, states that if it’s good, he enjoys it, but getting up early just to watch the sun come up is not his idea of fun... and now that his grandfather is gone, he isn’t interested in hunting locally. But, if we invite him to the good hunts, he’s happy to come.

That’s the last time I saw him.

Clearly, he enjoys good hunting, but he doesn’t have the drive for it to do that when it’s not like the good old days. States that hunting with his dad is boring, and too much like work.

He’s brought 2 MN licenses. Back when he was going with grandpa. He says he will be back when his kids are old enough to go on youth day.


Pretty anecdotal
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby Holland&Holland on Fri Oct 18, 2019 3:54 pm

striped1 wrote:I will go on record as being against all of these "youth" seasons. This isn't about hunter recruitment. This is an additional season so that dad can take the kids now and leave them at home to go to deer camp on opening day will all of his buddies. If you want a special season, great, but then exclude them from the regular season. Or better yet, take away the youth seasons and just take them hunting during the regular season. At least limit it to 10-14 years old. 17? Fricking 17 year olds are driving around in $20,000 trucks with decoy trailers for duck hunting and talking on $1,000 cell phones but they need a special 4 day season and a reduced price license? No.


1) if you are paying $1000 for a cell phone you are doing it wrong.

2) I know a lot of 17 year olds who drive trucks a have duck boats on trailers, none of them are anywhere near $20,000 trucks, more like $2,000 trucks and they work hard for them as well as the duck boat they bought with their own money from their job.
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Re: 2019 Youth Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 17-20

Postby Holland&Holland on Fri Oct 18, 2019 3:58 pm

Allot of short sightedness in this thread from allot of people who will see the loss of hunting as a way of life due to their own short sightedness. The youth are our future. Both for hunting and private gun ownership. If you can not see that, then I am sorry, but you are something that would be construed as a personal attack so I will leave it there.

I coach High School trap. The kids I coach are some of the best kids you will meet anywhere. Most of them hunt. Most of them take advantage of the youth seasons. Many of them did not grow up in hunting families and the youth seasons introduced them to hunting. Some of them are what I would term a hunting fanatic all due to their experiences starting with the youth seasons. I coach trap because I know if we do not do something to get the youth, we are done. Open you eyes people.
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