My 2 cents on the Junior Hunt.....

[Wild one]

Yep...it’s fine. Heard that one before...

If you think I am accusing you of shooting a kids deer I am not

If you’re pissed for other reasons oh well

[Avalanche123]

13 pages....unreal. We really are our worst enemy.

[Jelvis]

Big Lew a real Bow Hunter folks! Gotta respect that, an awesome hunter for sure --
Jel - horsh - hunting -- moose and deer -- gotta respect dat! --

[horshur]

You don’t have to respect...but it is still better then the alternative.....no need to throw out the baby with the bath water. The clock is ticking...the pig in the snake is at the far end..the bubble is bursting. Yin and yang. The largest demographic of hunters in their last days.

[Jelvis]

The cost of hunting with fuel at it's highest, it seems almost impossible to spend all that coin for a long week-end if you can't afford it.
-- Enormous fuel bills, expenses and more
Jelvis -- Don't step on my blue swade huntin boots --

[horshur]

If you think I am accusing you of shooting a kids deer I am not

If you’re pissed for other reasons oh well

No...though a member on here did that years ago..cornered my kid at the gun show.
I am just trying to show you another point of view..tempering(soften) a reality. Before you all throw out the baby...

[horshur]

Last try..twenty six year ago..my new wife had a doe draw. North Thompson had a dick CO..a friend of mine now. He threw his weight around made people uncomfortable...his job.
I was young,good hunter ,or so I thought..tagged out...virtue signaling bonehead...not even going to appear to be “one of those guys” didn’t pack a rifle. So my wife gets on a doe long weekend of nov..shoots..shot was not optimal...doe runs off..me holding my binoculars...we never retrieve that deer...blood all over in the snow..shitty deal my wife goes through that could have been a great day if I had not been so vain..we owe the game more then just keeping a regulation...

[j270wsm]

simply put. if a tree falls in the forrest and nobody is there... does it still make a sound. I have hunted some pretty remote areas and some pretty heavy hunted areas in the last 15 years.... I have been stopped once by a CO. If you are relying on tickets in the bush...well to say it politely ... this isn't going to happen.

about 6 years ago I had a beer with a CO at a pub during hunting season and asked him about the conservation and youth season. He did say that they did a trial and put a decoy that moves in the bush during youth season and 4 point season. I wrote down the results as he was talking on my iPhone because I wanted to get them right....

In youth season, 34 people shot.

30 of those shots were done by dad or mom
15 shots were taken from inside a vehicle


In 4 point season they did the same thing.

over the weekend several cars stopped. ( he didn't have the number)

4 people shot from the truck
2 people shot from when it was not a 4 point but was only open


I asked him about youth season and he laughed.. He said he only gets paid to enforce the rules.



In regards to being part of the problem... Calling a CO and saying that the dad is in full camp shooting a high powered rifle and cleaning a deer while the sun is in ninja turtle pj's playing his Nintendo in his truck isn't reasonable grounds to fine someone. its so hard to police. Again... I am not saying its all the kids. I am just saying its a lot. a lot I hear about... its also a long time to shoot deer which aren't afraid of anything...


for those of you being brash about this.... please don't. its a topic that I wanted to bring up. based on the poll... a lot of people see different that what I see.. I respect that 100%

awesome......conservation officers doing their jobs and catching poachers.

Youth seasons are in place to give kids a slightly increased opportunity to harvest an animal. As a parent, I'm sure you know that sept is a busy time for kids and getting out hunting can be very difficult. Some parents feel that school is too important to miss because of hunting. Reguardless of what the conservation officer you had a beer with thinks.....youth seasons aren't a conservation concern. Poaching on the other hand can be. If you know someone who is shooting deer for their kids......report them. Is it guaranteed to lead to charges/convictions.....no. But a conservation officer stopping by their house and questioning them could make them reconsider shooting their kids animals.
when my son was 10 he harvested his first black bear, a cow elk and 2 deer. He pulled the trigger on every one of them. The bear was shot in may the elk was sept and the 2 deer were oct/nov. we hunted in the youth season but didn't get the opportunity at an animal. Watching my son harvest his first animals was the best hunting season I've ever had, even if him filling all my tags meant I didn't get to harvest anything.

[Wild one]

No...though a member on here did that years ago..cornered my kid at the gun show.
I am just trying to show you another point of view..tempering(soften) a reality. Before you all throw out the baby...

Personally I probably would have knocked the guys teeth out for that

My only issue with youth seasons is the idiots that abuse them. I have never said get rid of them or they damage buck numbers. Adjust dates to hope limit idiots temptation yes. That is only because I have not heard near the abuse during the youth seasons out side of archery season.

Kids taking deer in youth season I have no issue with. Do I think they could benefit from adjustment to try and limit abuse it’s worth a try. Do I think they are a must for getting kids into hunting no. Kids benefit from it yup

Before the 9 day early archery season comes up I have not used it for about 7 years so not an issue

I am not the one saying do away with youth seasons

[ncurrie]

Before I start I want to clear up what some of you are going to think. I was able to get my deer this year. Infact in our group we are fine for deer for a season and a half. Thats with us going to the elders in the community and giving the hunters that are to elderly to hunt some deer to enjoy. My parents brought me up the right way...


Ok. So I hope I don't ruffle to many feathers here. I know I am going to get a back lash on this but from the hunters I spoke to this year so far - they agree with me. The open youth season in region 8 has got to stop. Plain and simple. When I started hunting about 15 years ago we had a lot more deer. Infact my first deer was shot with my dad no further than 100 yards away. We didn't need a "open youth season" and we all seemed to do ok. I learned how to clean a deer and I was instantly hooked on the sport. I didn't need a youth season to get me going.

Before I even start - I have yet to hear of any youth that went hunting and missed a deer. No matter how young or old they are. No matter how big the deer was or if it was moving or to far... they always seem to hit it. Infact I have been out for bow season and see kids in pyjamas in the truck. What I am getting at is that I am willing to bet Dad is taking the shot a high percentage of the time. You can't tell me otherwise. How is a youth who has never possibly shot at an animal before get out of the truck and shoot a deer first try... cmon ladies and gents....


Secondly the length of time the season is open. Sept 1 -Sept 30 and then it open for everyone else for any buck. I went this year and I got my buck... I hunted off the beaten path. I can tell you that every single buck I saw was moving pretty quick. Chances are they have been shot at ( from the kids doing it right) or they have heard the bullets fly towards other deer. This is ridiculous..... I have 1 week a year to dedicate to hunting. By the kids going out and shooting and eliminating a lot of deer from the mix, it makes it harder for me to get my deer. I contribute just like the parents of the kids do and I think I am entitled as much as they are to bagging my deer.


Thirdly- Jesus Christ- now even open for birds... every year I limited out on grouse. This year I came nowhere close... wonder why..?

Lastly, we have new regulations saying we can take only one deer from selected regions. This is because deer counts are down ( I guess). If this is the case then why are we letting dads in with the kids to shoot deer before the other hunters can. Lets make it fair for everyone.

My thoughts is if the youth draw was to continue we make it like a limited entry. Give a certain amount of spikes, 2 point, 3 point and larger for the youths. This will have dad.... I mean the youth have to count the points before shooting... It will teach them good habits and it will make the sustainability of the sport go further.

This is the only sport we give a break to the youths. Can youths fish the Fraser when its closed..

I am going to go hide under a rock because I am sure this will get some people upset but this needs to stop. And if we are going to open it up for the youth... Then why not open it up for the seniors.... they can't go on a 10 km hike to the alpine to get a deer.

In my eyes its all done wrong

I’m a little confused why this is even a discussion. Why are we not doing anything in our power to encourage the youth to hunt? Do we not want conservation to continue on for generations to come? With all the anti’s out there making death threats etc... to hunters, should we not be doing what we can to advocate, educate and make the road easier for these kids to learn and be able to teach the future generations? When my kids were younger yes I let them skip school to go hunting and be out doors, but now that my oldest is about to graduate and is applying for pre-vet schools, she can’t afford to miss school. That youth season allows her to get out, without messing up with her homework. The kid also works two jobs on top of that. It baffles me that adults would want to take away a youth season! Unfortunately with this kind of mindset, hunters will become a dying breed. Also, 15 yrs ago in region 8 we didn’t have the wolf problems that we do now.