Youth Season

[Bolt Action]

Not sure if I'm a fan of the early season. 

I've seen plenty of pix and stories of youth hunters getting out and connecting on their first deer. The smiles I see on their faces along with their mentors is awesome. This is what I think the youth season is intended for. Young kids getting out there and connecting on a deer before the season gets underway. 

But this isn't always the case. I've also see pix and stories where some of these kids are shooting mature bucks with higher powered rifles (.300 WSM in at least one case) from longer distances (175+ yds), and then commenting that they've shot bigger. To me, this isn't a new hunter who's learning about hunting, this is an experienced hunter, albeit a young one, who's taking advantage of an early gun season. 

Don't get me wrong, my son will be 11 in a few weeks, and I'm looking forward to getting him out there so he can join the ranks. It just doesn't sit well with me when it feels like a good program is being taken advantage of.

Ok, rant over. I'm not sure if there's a way to fix one without sacrificing the other. 

[cervidchasers]

Youth season is youth season

12-15 right? 

So yeh they may have a few yrs under their belts

Don't see an issue with that

[mowin]

My nephews still needed some guidance in the woods at 15. The had both taken bucks every yr, and bigger each yr.  

Far from seasoned hunters, but they learned a lot during those yrs. 

[mlamm24]

 

 

Or they spent some time hunting out of state before the age of 12 and were lucky enough to take a nice deer.

[Moho81]

Sorry a youth stole your buck and hurt your feelings. 

[Robhuntandfish]

I would simply say what are the chances NY got this right over every other state when it comes to hunting regulations?  It drives me nuts that people think it's something special when in reality youths are basically restricted to one weekend thru 7 weeks of deer season.  Open youths up to crossbow so that those that cannot use a compound bow can still hunt over the 7 weeks of season that is open before gun season.   It's a restriction to have the youth weekend not a privilege.   Let them enjoy the archery season too.  And for those that think they wouldn't graduate to the compound then make it only until 16 if need be.  But at least make it open for them to hunt.   Yes some can draw a bow, many can't.  If you can get them into hunting they will gravitate to the compound once they can't use the crossbow and can use the compound.  

Ask yourself did NY get it right over all the Midwest states.,...doubtful.  They like to let kids hunt more than a weekend. 

[Swamp_bucks]

I explained to my nephew before we went out yesterday that I hope we can get a shot at a giant but before you set your eyes on giants you just need to learn how to kill deer and hunt.  The rest will come with experience.  
 

[mowin]

39 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

I would simply say what are the chances NY got this right over every other state when it comes to hunting regulations?  It drives me nuts that people think it's something special when in reality youths are basically restricted to one weekend thru 7 weeks of deer season.  Open youths up to crossbow so that those that cannot use a compound bow can still hunt over the 7 weeks of season that is open before gun season.   It's a restriction to have the youth weekend not a privilege.   Let them enjoy the archery season too.  And for those that think they wouldn't graduate to the compound then make it only until 16 if need be.  But at least make it open for them to hunt.   Yes some can draw a bow, many can't.  If you can get them into hunting they will gravitate to the compound once they can't use the crossbow and can use the compound.  

Ask yourself did NY get it right over all the Midwest states.,...doubtful.  They like to let kids hunt more than a weekend. 

Can't agree with you more.  But it is what we have to work with, and we need to make the best of it. 

[Redneck4Life]

My wife's cousin taught his granddaughter how to hunt this youth weekend. She got her little button buck on bait after dark and didn't tag it. Was bragging it all up. He asked about my kids I said I ain't pushing him to hunt they make there own decisions. The thing that bothers me the most is not eating it they don't just like to kill. Venison is like my beef.

[Bolt Action]

2 hours ago, Moho81 said:

Sorry a youth stole your buck and hurt your feelings. 

Definitely not the situation.

Based on some of the responses here i spent a little time trying to better understand the purpose of the youth hunt. Originally I thought it was to provide young hunters time in the woods with their mentors and a "calm" deer population. Both would be conducive to a young hunter gaining some experience in the woods. I also thought that these same young hunters would still be able to hunt later in the regular season. 

I now understand that the younger group can only hunt during that designated early season, and that they're supposed to be out with a mentor.

Makes more sense now. 

[cervidchasers]

30 minutes ago, Bolt Action said:

Definitely not the situation.

Based on some of the responses here i spent a little time trying to better understand the purpose of the youth hunt. Originally I thought it was to provide young hunters time in the woods with their mentors and a "calm" deer population. Both would be conducive to a young hunter gaining some experience in the woods. I also thought that these same young hunters would still be able to hunt later in the regular season. 

I now understand that the younger group can only hunt during that designated early season, and that they're supposed to be out with a mentor.

Makes more sense now. 

Yup they use regular season tag

They can xbow or muzzleloader hunt during the season dates along with doe tags

[Moho81]

1 hour ago, Bolt Action said:

Definitely not the situation.

Based on some of the responses here i spent a little time trying to better understand the purpose of the youth hunt. Originally I thought it was to provide young hunters time in the woods with their mentors and a "calm" deer population. Both would be conducive to a young hunter gaining some experience in the woods. I also thought that these same young hunters would still be able to hunt later in the regular season. 

I now understand that the younger group can only hunt during that designated early season, and that they're supposed to be out with a mentor.

Makes more sense now. 

They can still hunt during the regular season they just have to use the regular season tags during the youth season. So if they shot a buck they no longer have a buck tag for the regular season. 
 

It’s an opportunity to get the kids out when the deer are less pressured. The woods are not as crowded and the weather is a little bit nicer. 
 

 

[lucky118]

I don't even care anymore. It's just getting more annoying with all the special seasons. Was going to start hunting pa this week but realized  this week is the doe muzzleloader week in the middle of bow. I'm not even sure you can shoot a buck with the crossbow if your bowhunting. Haven't  stepped foot in the woods yet this season and could care less.

[Larry]

The only thing I have to say is wish it was around when my kids were young.

[Belo]

My wife and I had this convo the other night after I saw a pic of a friend of ours who took their son to a DEC sponsored event and stated that 26 out of 26 youth all had success. Like what?

Here are my thoughts as someone who didn't have a youth season as a kid and who just took his son out all last weekend and had success on a "he'd be nice next year" buck. Mature buck or immature is sort of the same for me because of the potential.

I'll start with this. When I was 16 I was given a scoped browning semi-auto 12 gauge that I shot maybe 2 or 3 times. I was taken in the dark into Tully valley and with a flashlight pointed to a wooden man made blind that was basically logs and branches with 3 sides up to about chest high when sitting on the plastic bucket inside. I had jeans, thick cotton socks, rocky sorta insulated boots a new walls cotton parka and army tiger stripe camo pants. "remember son, right behind the shoulder". It was a cold opening day November and I remember seeing a nice 8 point buck at about 60 yards and didn't know I could shoot that far lol. 

It was honestly exciting and yet a miserable experience because I was cold and alone and just not educated enough. I had a drive put on me later that day and missed a running deer. Next year I was able to connect on a drive with my first deer a nice little basket 6. My dad, grandpa and uncles were and still are all great guys but we didn't spend any hunts "together" prior to me hunting solo. popup blinds weren't really a thing and towers sure as shit weren't a thing. I was born into a hunting family for sure but regardless of my experience I was always going to be a hardcore hunter.

Now I see what we have today and I wonder. Sure you're hunting unpressured deer. It's generally warm. We as parents do a lot to put our kids into a situation where they will be successful. Our 3 hunts weren't easy by any means, but they weren't anywhere near the challenge I had at 16 either. Now there's a difference between 12 and 16 for sure but I guess I wonder if a nice successful early hunt really hooks a hunter at all. If you're going to be a hunter you're probably going to be a hunter regardless. If you're not really that into it, even being successful I wonder if it's worth the youth shooting up the woods in early October. Did we really GAIN a hunter? Did we setup very unrealistic expectations and potentially take deer opportunities away from hunters who are already in the program and sticking with it? What do the numbers look like with youth hunters retention and does the early season really grab a hunter who otherwise wouldn't when they come of age or are we just giving kids an advantage who are going to be hunters one day anyhow?

TLDR;

I have mixed feelings on youth season as I'm not sure it really does anything for requitement. I'd be more interested in a program that does more to retain and I think that ultimately comes down to access. If you're in the Rochester area and you don't have private land, you're pretty screwed with public access and you're likely giving up on the sport. That's the bigger need in my opinion.