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

[HighCountryBC]

How about this. When the CO pulls people over he already knows everything about everyone with his computer. And that's good. How hard would it be that once the little guy/gal has bagged their first buck in youth season, however many years it takes, then they've fulfilled our wish that they get their first deer and now they can join the rest of us in looking for four points until October. I don't think the youth season is intended for dad (and the youth) to fill his freezer every year with easy young mulies for 7 years per kid.... just my two cents

Pretty silly take.

Youth harvest is minimal in the grand scheme of things and we need as many youth involved in the sport as possible. They have very limited time between going back to school, sports etc. A month long youth season is peanuts in the big picture. Very few will get out for more than a handful of days.

[mauserman]

It's not peanuts and is a really long open season when we are trying to reduce the pressure on mule deer. I know guys who kill small mule deer every year with their kids before Oct 1. I brought up 3 kids, 2 of them hunters and hockey players and super active so I think I get it. They each got a spike on their first try, but every year after it was four points only until Oct 1.... It teaches kids that maybe taking the first buck they see isn't always the best bet in the long run. Didn't work with my boys - blammo on the first one! Very few adults get out more than a handful of days in September - and we're looking for four points. Won't hurt the youth a bit - as long as they get out there!!

[Elkhound]

I see more adults taking deer with crossbows in Sept than I do youth hunters taking deer with rifles.


Edited my original post for clarity

[HighCountryBC]

It's not peanuts and is a really long open season when we are trying to reduce the pressure on mule deer. I know guys who kill small mule deer every year with their kids before Oct 1. I brought up 3 kids, 2 of them hunters and hockey players and super active so I think I get it. They each got a spike on their first try, but every year after it was four points only until Oct 1.... It teaches kids that maybe taking the first buck they see isn't always the best bet in the long run. Didn't work with my boys - blammo on the first one! Very few adults get out more than a handful of days in September - and we're looking for four points. Won't hurt the youth a bit - as long as they get out there!!

The harvest during youth season is a very small percentage of the overall harvest throughout the season. That data is readily available.

You're confusing your reasons for what you want your kids to harvest with the goal of the youth season. Whether they harvest the first spike they see or hold out for a bigger buck is irrelevant. The main thing is that the opportunity is there for them to harvest any buck from the 1st to the 30th with the limited amount of time they have.

[mike_b]

You lost me when you said you were "entitled" to bag a deer. Only thing you're entitled to is getting out of the house and getting into the bush. Nothin' more after that.....grow up

[The Hermit]

It won't happen 'blackford'...it's been hashed through before. I'm a bow hunter and can see
the writing on the wall in relation to crossbows being involved. I'm not saying that crossbows
shouldn't be included in the bow season, only that they are now so well developed that the high
end ones are as accurate as a rifle out to 100 yards in the right hands. Then consider that even
compound bows are much more accurate and capable out to ranges almost double to what they
were when the rules were changed to make special bow only seasons. Add these modern weapons
in with the youth season, especially now that that youth season is extended, and it doesn't take
a rocket scientist to realize the early deer slaughter isn't sustainable the way it is now. About the
only way I can see maintaining this 'special' season for both youth and archery is to make it 3 points
or better. We all know that during the first week or so in September the young bucks, spikes and
2 points, are very easy to find and kill, especially by road hunters. If not, it will not be long before
that season is eliminated, or like in some regions, all hunting with the use of a vehicle will not be
allowed before 10 am.

Hey Big Lew - Playing the devil's advocate here... Bow hunters kill very few of all the deer shot each year. The "deer slaughter" lays mostly at the feet of rifle hunters. Rifles with their big ol scopes and range finding binoculars, and wind measuring units are so much easier and accurate even out to 700 - 900 yards than your dad's old 30-30 right? Perhaps we should eliminate rifle hunting all together or at least in the rut to save a lot of deer?

Hey BlackFord - As for the kids, I'd be fine with reducing the youth season to a week hunting on their parent's tag, and I'd prefer that it happen in the rut rather than during bow only seasons, but thats just me. I have a 5 year old grandson that can hardly wait to go hunting with me and he will be starting out as a bowhunter on quail and rabbits until he is competent to handle himself for bigger game. Also, wondering what your take on FN's only being allowed to hunt with rifles in daylight during GOS? If you want to hold on to traditions why not use bow and arrow outside of the GOS? That would also save a lot of deer, moose, elk, etc. Cheers,

[Brez]

I was thinking on this just today and how about the government and ministries manage the resource for an adequate amount of animals and that would entice new (and older) hunters to get out there and have fun. I had no problem enjoying learning to hunt at the same times and on the same level playing fields as all the rest of the hunters of the day, and neither did my sons.

Pretty silly take.

Youth harvest is minimal in the grand scheme of things and we need as many youth involved in the sport as possible. They have very limited time between going back to school, sports etc. A month long youth season is peanuts in the big picture. Very few will get out for more than a handful of days.

[Steeleco]

Am I correct in thinking that the youth season is also open to those with a youth license and using the supervising parent's tags? That is to say, they haven't passed the core and don't have their full license yet.

Actually before your question got into a debate about this topic as it always does and always will, it was answered incorrect. Kind of!! It's for youth under the age of 18 core or no core that are in the company of an experienced hunter (iirc 2 full years with a said core?) The reason a kid with core cannot hunt alone has lots to do with the PAL. They cannot get a full PAL until age 18 thus cannot pack a rifle alone in the woods. The youth hunt used to be 16 when my son took full use of it, but was changed some years back to align itself with the PAL rules. Now I'm not sure if a youth hunter can hunt bow unaccompanied?

[sillybear]

It is a sad state of affairs when a parent has to use his kid to kill a dear early.
What have you taught your child? After 56 years of hunting just about all game this great province has to offer,
the biggest thrill of my hunting career has yet to come. When my Grandson shoots his first buck it will be the
highlite of my hunting career. I look forward to when he turns 10 and his first youth season!!!

[IronNoggin]

Hey Big Lew - Playing the devil's advocate here... Bow hunters kill very few of all the deer shot each year.

While I do agree with your point, I feel obligated to remind you that Dave (aka Big Lew) passed away on May 30th of this year. Prior to doing so, he had purchased an Excalibur crossbow that I helped him locate, and was planning on hunting with it. The same as what I do each and every year...

Nog