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Post by Buckslayer on Sept 6, 2007 21:18:09 GMT -4
anyone know anything,hear anything about the youth buck hunts going on?under 12??
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Post by jeffpahunter on Sept 6, 2007 23:27:04 GMT -4
What do you need to know Bud ? Mentored youth hunts had been limited to squirrels, woodchucks and Spring Gobblers but this year to include antlered Deer. All of the same rules apply. One mentor (adult) per mentored hunter. Mentor (adult) must carry the firearm while moving, once on stand the firearm can be handed to the mentor hunter. No license or HTE class required for the mentor hunter but the mentor (adult) must posses a valid license. If a Deer is taken by the mentor hunter use a homemade tag with "mentor hunter" written on it and use as usual. All rules and antler regulations that apply to Jr. hunters apply to mentor hunters. Legal Buck is the "old standard", 3" or better.
I took the following info straight from the PGC web site.
Who Qualifies as a Mentor? Under the program, a mentor is defined as a properly licensed individual 21 years of age or older, who serves as a guide to a mentored youth while engaged in hunting or related activities, such as scouting, learning firearm or hunter safety and wildlife identification.
Does a Mentor Need to Obtain a Permit? No, there is no permit required to be a mentor, as long as the person meets the qualifications noted above.
Who Qualifies as a Youth to Participate in the Program? A mentored youth is defined as an unlicensed individual under 12 years of age who is accompanied by a mentor while engaged in hunting or related activities.
Does the Youth Need to Be Hunter-Trapper Education Certified? No, the youth does not need to take and pass the Game Commission's mandatory Hunter-Trapper Education, which is required for all first-time license buyers. However, it is the responsibility of the mentor to ensure that each youth is trained in firearm and hunter safety before heading afield.
What Details Do I Need to Know About the Program? The Program stipulates that the mentor to mentored youth ratio be one-to-one, which means that the mentor may not have more than one youth hunting with them at a time. Also, the pair may possess only one sporting arm while hunting. While moving, the sporting arm must be carried by the mentor. When the pair reaches a stationary hunting location, the mentor may turn over possession of the sporting arm to the youth, and then must keep the youth within arm's length at all times while he or she is in possession of the sporting arm. The program also requires that both the mentor and the youth must abide by fluorescent orange regulations for the species being hunted.
Are There Safety Concerns With the Program? Based on data from other states - many of which have no hunting age limitations - there are no facts showing a decrease in safety by allowing individuals of any age to go hunting. As with any hunting situation, it is the responsibility of the hunter - and in this case, more specifically, the Mentor - to make sure that the youth is prepared to go hunting. Preparation includes, but is not limited to, firearm safety, hunting safety and physical and mental preparedness. Also, the Mentored Youth Hunting Program has several safety precautions built into it, such as the one-to-one ratio limitation on the mentor-to-youth; the pair may only have one sporting arm; the youth may possess the sporting arm and hunt only from a stationary position; and the youth must be within arm's length of the mentor at all times while in possession of the sporting arm.
What Species Can Be Taken By a Youth Participating in the Program? The species identified as legal for the Mentored Youth Hunting Program are squirrels, woodchucks (groundhogs), antlered deer and spring gobbler. When hunting for antlered deer, those youth participating in the Mentored Youth Hunting Program are required to follow the same antler restrictions as a junior license holder, which is one antler of three or more inches in length or one antler with at least two points.
What About Tagging and Reporting Requirements for Big Game Taken By the Youth? The mentored youth must tag and report any antlered deer or spring gobbler taken by making and attaching a tag that contains their name, address, date, WMU, township, and county where it was taken. Also, the youth must submit a harvest report card within five days for any gobbler he or she takes. Mentored youth can see a sample carcass tag and use the harvest report card available on page 33 of the 2007-08 Digest. The mentored youth may not use the mentor's tags or harvest report cards if the youth harvests an antlered deer or spring gobbler.
Hope this helps answer what questions you might have had.
If not let me know. If I can't answer I'll be seeing our local WCO in 2 weeks at the HTE classes that I'll be teaching and I'll find out an answer for you or anyone.
Jeff
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Post by mrlongbeard on Sept 7, 2007 19:12:25 GMT -4
in times like this we need programs like this. it's just a shame some kids parents don't have the time to do something like this with their kids. ace's to everybody who helps these kids.
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Post by jeffpahunter on Sept 8, 2007 0:26:29 GMT -4
Couldn't agree more longbeard. Today's youth is tomorrow's future. Our 2 boys (13 & 8) have been accompanying me on hunts for years now but it's nice to be able to have the youngest now participate in some of those hunts.
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Post by mrlongbeard on Sept 8, 2007 23:11:21 GMT -4
one of these rounds when i have more time again , i'm going to try it out
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